Frenemies
by Dazzlious
Summary: With Voldemort fighting for ascendance, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is determined to make a concerted effort to put an end to the centuries of unchecked bigotry at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in an attempt to stem the tide of followers to the Dark Lord's cause. But will he succeed when even the teachers are sceptical of his plans? *NOW COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _Well, I think we know I'm a bit of an old romantic at heart and I do love Draco and Hermione, so here's yet another teen romance. It's set in the seventh year at Hogwarts and pretty much ignores the events at the end of book six and the whole canon of the seventh book._

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'It's time this enmity that has been allowed to build up between the Houses came to an end,' Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, announced gravely.

He looked around at the teachers who were all watching him carefully, aware that what he was about to tell them would at the very least make them uncomfortable and probably rather unhappy. But there was nothing for it; the situation had been allowed to deteriorate badly — to which he had unfortunately contributed as he had hoped that under his steady hand things might improve of their own accord if left alone. But with Voldemort now in control of the Ministry of Magic and poised to re-emerge at any time, Dumbledore had to make an effort to change things before it was too late and he needed their help to do it.

'We are all aware of what is happening outside, but there is no reason we should allow it to affect the school or the relationships of those within its walls. It is our duty to guide the pupils and drive out this hatred and bigotry that is affecting the very foundations of our world.'

'You're not serious,' Professor Snape said incredulously.

Several other teachers mumbled, too, presumably voicing similar opinions to Snape's but less audibly.

Dumbledore fixed his bright blue eyes on Snape's cold black ones. 'I am absolutely serious about this, Severus. The only way Hogwarts will survive, that the whole wizarding world will survive, is if we stop this division between us. It should have been nipped in the bud when Salazar Slytherin first showed signs of discontent, and it most certainly shouldn't have been allowed to spiral out of control to what we see today . . . which I am aware is partially my fault as I allowed things to worsen. All our pupils must be made to realise that there is no difference between any of them. It doesn't matter where they were born, what colour they are, what House they belong in, or how strong their magical ability is: each and every one of them is a witch or wizard and they are all equally important.'

'That's all very well, but it's not what the students in my House are being taught outside of school. Nothing we tell them here will change that view when they have centuries of breeding behind them,' Snape pointed out sensibly.

Dumbledore nodded to show that he had heard Snape's opinion, ignoring the muttering going on among the assembled teachers about entitled Pure-blood Slytherins. 'You are, of course, quite correct, Severus, and I am aware that you of all the teachers here will have the hardest task. However, it is not impossible.'

Snape, his face wearing his famous scowl, snorted darkly and shook his head, clearly disagreeing with Dumbledore's assessment. 'And how exactly do you expect us to accomplish this fantastic feat, Headmaster?'

Dumbledore looked at the anxious faces for a moment, then smiled. 'Well, first of all we're not going to be all doom and gloom about it. Please, cheer up. What I aim to achieve here is a good thing.' He saw Snape roll his eyes at this. 'I am aware that we have a huge battle ahead of us, but I think we can at least make inroads into evening things up. For instance, we should have more joint recreational activities where students are encouraged to expand their horizons a little and spend time with those from other Houses.

'Of course, I'm not talking about splitting up current winning partnerships, such as in the Gobstones Club.' He smiled at Professor Flitwick, who was looking worried. 'Neither am I talking about ceasing the continued House rivalry that occurs during Quidditch matches. However, I am sure you are all perfectly capable of thinking up activities for which co-operative participation by all Houses is a requirement. You never know, we may even get some new champions out of it.'

He looked around him again, smiling, as the waiting teachers realised he expected them to do a bit more than just tell off students who were bickering or causing trouble.

'For instance, you, Severus, could reconsider the partnership arrangements for your Potions projects. It wouldn't be too difficult to ensure that no partners are from the same House and that Pure-bloods do not work exclusively with other Pure-bloods.' He ignored the withering look Snape gave him at this comment. 'I'm sure the same can be said for all of you who work on projects, otherwise perhaps a general rearrangement of the seating in lessons might be in order.

'I am aware, of course, that teaching those below N.E.W.T. level means you will only be dealing with two Houses at any one time, but I think it will be worth the effort to attempt to integrate them as much as possible, with a view to further integration with the other Houses outside of lessons. It is even more important for this integration to happen with our N.E.W.T. students as they are that much closer to entering the outside world. If they leave Hogwarts fostering a good attitude toward others it makes it that much harder for factions like those that surround Voldemort to take control.'

Dumbledore ignored the shudder that went through many of the staff as he mentioned Voldemort's name.

'Perhaps you should stop Slytherin and Gryffindor studying together, then. That would be a start to making things friendlier,' one of the teachers muttered, but Dumbledore couldn't work out who it was and they had shut up rapidly when Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, turned and glared at those around her.

'The problem rarely stems from Gryffindor,' she announced haughtily. 'They already have perfectly good relationships with those from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.'

'So this so-called "bad feeling" is purely a Slytherin problem, is it?' Snape asked icily.

'Slytherin does have the largest number of Pure-bloods,' Professor Sinistra said matter-of-factly.

'And many of them are related to those who followed You-Know-Who last time so are automatically pre-disposed to be anti-Muggle,' Professor Babbling added pointedly.

Snape's scowl deepened. 'The members of Slytherin House come from the oldest and most noble families in the wizarding world,' he stated imperiously. 'They have extremely strong views which are not likely to be swayed just by playing musical chairs in class or forcing them to be jovial with those from other Houses during their precious free time. The pressure their families inflict upon them to conform is immense and shouldn't be ignored lightly.'

'I am aware of the obstacles,' Dumbledore replied sympathetically, 'but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try, Severus. If nothing else it will give the students a greater appreciation of their peers. If even one Pure-blood ends up realising that Muggle-borns aren't any different from them, or a student who would otherwise have been hostile to members of Hufflepuff House for not being as good as them was to change their view, then we will have succeeded; and from that one grain others will eventually follow.'

He was a little disappointed to see the sceptical looks on the faces of his staff. He wasn't suggesting that what he was advocating would be easy. He was well aware it would be anything but. But if they didn't believe they could make a change, they wouldn't put the kind of commitment into achieving results that were required in order for improvements to occur. He knew from experience that the smallest change could result in the biggest upheaval.

At the very least, forcing the Pure-bloods to confront the fact that the students they avoided or bullied so mercilessly weren't so different from themselves would give most of them pause should they ever be asked to do anything nasty to their fellow classmates once they left school and joined the ranks of Voldemort's followers.

He was well aware that this wasn't an exclusively Pure-blood problem. There were several Half-bloods who were just as anti-Muggle as any Pure-blood, just as some Muggle-borns were fiercely opposed to those whose families were purely magical in retaliation for the way they had been treated; and disdain for those in Hufflepuff House seemed to be pretty universally split across all the other Houses regardless of blood status.

Additionally, he knew there were plenty of Pure-bloods who had no interest in following Voldemort and were perfectly friendly to Muggle-borns. It was important that their opponents stopped thinking of them as blood-traitors and understood that they all shared the same heritage. Although these poor bigoted souls had been brainwashed from early childhood into believing what their families told them, it wasn't too late to help them to see the right path, and with the help of reassuring teachers they might even be urged to take it.

'I understand this is a huge task I am advocating, but surely you must be able to see the potential benefits.'

He looked around again as several of the teachers shrugged or looked non-committal. Minerva, Filius and Pomona were quite clearly ready to back him although he honestly hadn't expected anything different from them as the Heads of the other three Houses. Severus was his usual unreadable self but Dumbledore knew that he, too, would do what had been asked of him; grudgingly, maybe, but he would do it and, perhaps surprisingly to some, would probably have the greatest success.

He sighed. Then, looking stern, he added, 'Well, whether you see the benefit to this or not, you will do it. I expect you all to think about how you can effectively make your classes more integrated and give some thought to post-school activities that could be easily organised. We will discuss your progress, your ideas, and any particular successes or failures at the next staff meeting.' 

* * *

Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master, looked at the class in front of him with a sinking heart. It was all very well that bloody old fool Albus having a bright idea to get everyone in the school on good terms, but the reality was a very different thing, especially in a class containing both Harry Potter and his friends, and Draco Malfoy and his. Snape could understand why the Headmaster wanted the closer integration of the Houses, considering the war that was surely coming.

There were certainly plenty of children in Slytherin who would benefit from the opportunity to break away from the ideas their families had instilled in them and just needed that little push to do so, which he would have been unable to provide without this initiative of Albus' allowing him the opportunity. But then you had students like Draco Malfoy who were firmly entrenched in believing the bile and hatred their family espoused and had no interest in even considering any other point of view, and the whole thing seemed like too much of a challenge.

If he was honest, he quite liked the idea of splitting up the Terrible Trio as he knew it would annoy them, especially if he paired each of them with a Slytherin. But he still had a class to teach, a difficult and demanding N.E.W.T. one at that, so the disruption that imposing new project partners upon the class would create needed to be in proportion and manageable.

For that reason neither Potter nor Weasley could be paired with Malfoy. The hatred and distrust that existed between the Gryffindor boys and the blond-haired Slytherin boy was legendary, and Snape was under no illusion that a pairing containing any two of the three would be anything but catastrophic for everyone in the school. The easiest option by far was to pair all three of them with students from other Houses and attempt to keep them as far away from each other as possible.

As the class read through a chapter in _Advanced Potion Making_ that he had set to keep them occupied while he finished debating what to do, Snape's eyes darted around the room, mentally pairing up students, attempting to match them both in the way suggested by Albus and also in a way which wouldn't cause educational strife for any of them.

Whilst the students in his class were undoubtedly the best in the school as he never took anyone who hadn't achieved Outstanding in their O.W.L.s, there were many differing levels of ability in the class. The last thing he needed was for one of the bottom-scrapers, Potter and Weasley amongst them, to be paired with and hold back one of the high-achievers.

Talking of high-achievers, there was the problem of Hermione Granger, the admittedly brilliant but dreadfully annoying Gryffindor witch who was a close friend of Potter and Weasley. The obvious choice was to put Malfoy and her together as they were so closely matched in ability; it would be fascinating to see what the couple could achieve between them given the opportunity. But Granger was Muggle-born and Malfoy the most outspoken detractor of those not Pure-blood, and the two of them had already had several unpleasant encounters over the years. Snape couldn't believe that when Albus was thinking about harmony between the Houses he expected Granger and Malfoy to have to overcome their differences and work together. Although. . . .

He realised that some of the class were beginning to get restless, having finished the reading he had set them. Malfoy and his friends were larking around, threatening to disturb those who were still working, confident that as Slytherins they wouldn't get into trouble in his class, which was generally true. He scanned the assembled students one final time before standing up, the scowl visible on his face as he prepared to unleash his bombshell.

'I take it from the noise you're all making that you have finished reading,' he said coldly. 'Hopefully, if you bothered to ingest the information you will have a greater understanding of the complexity of the project upon which you are about to embark.'

He walked out from behind his desk to stand in front of the workbench shared by Potter and Weasley.

'This project will not only be the most challenging you have yet undertaken but will also represent something of a departure for most of you. Since joining the course, and in some cases since joining the school, you have tended to stay partnered with the same people.' He stared blatantly at the two boys in front of him. 'However, the time has come to prepare you for the outside world. Whilst it is possible that you may eventually gain a job where you will work exclusively with the same people, in general this is unlikely to be the case and you will be required to interact with all manner of people without it causing a problem. Therefore, for this project you will not be working with your usual cohorts.'

He waited as the majority of the class reacted somewhat negatively to this announcement, with a considerable amount of hurried whispering.

Waspishly he continued, 'Quiet, please, I haven't finished. Additionally, the Headmaster is somewhat concerned that the four Houses aren't mixing quite as freely as the Founders intended. Therefore, in the spirit of cordial endeavour and with the hope that this will be rectified, there will be substantial rearrangements in partnering. What this means to you personally is that no one in this room will be partnered with someone from his or her own House. Whilst you may not like the situation, you will bear it with good grace and attempt to do your best within the project, _co-operating_ and working with your new partner.'

The whispering had grown louder and sounded angrier, especially amongst the Slytherins and Gryffindors.

'You never know, the new arrangement might even improve your performance,' he added smugly, his eyes fastened once more on Potter.

Harry glared at him. Snape ignored the look, and that of Draco Malfoy who looked just as angry as Potter and turned towards the blackboard. He tapped it with his wand and a table of names appeared.

'As you can see, this is a list of partnering arrangements for the project. With the minimum amount of fuss, please change places as appropriate.' He looked to the left-hand side of the class. 'Miss Bones, please move to the workbench next to you, and your new partner, Mr Zabini, can join you there.'

There was general quiet grumbling amongst the students as they worked out who they were partnered with and whether or not they needed to move. Draco, who hadn't made any effort to pack away but had been carefully studying the blackboard with an ever-growing scowl, raised his hand. Snape looked at him interestedly.

'Yes, Mr Malfoy, you have a question?'

'Sir, there seems to have been some mistake with the pairings,' Draco said, his voice imperious.

Several of the Slytherins who had been packing up around him stopped what they were doing to listen to the conversation. Snape glanced at the blackboard for a moment, then gazed back at Draco with a slightly questioning look.

'I don't think there is any error, Mr Malfoy. I think it's all perfectly clear, isn't it?'

'But sir, you've paired me with the Mudblood,' Draco retorted.

Snape's scowl reappeared immediately. 'I have told you before not to use that word, Mr Malfoy. If you insist on doing so you will very shortly find yourself in detention.' Draco looked surprised at the teacher's comment. Snape never punished Slytherins. Ignoring the look, Snape continued, 'You have been paired with the person I felt most suitable to partner you for this project, and I expect to not hear any complaints on the subject. The two of you are almost equal in ability, although _you_ don't always show it, and it is hoped that Miss Granger's calm hand will raise your game — which, with the final exams only months away, you most assuredly need. I expect some fine work to be achieved by both of you working as a team.'

'I'm not working with her,' Draco said belligerently. 'Put me with a Half-blood from one of the other Houses if you must, but I refuse to work with a Mudblood, especially with Granger.'

Snape moved rapidly to stand in front of Draco's workbench. He fixed his cold, dark eyes on the boy and said just as icily, 'I have decided that for this project you will be partnering Miss Granger, and I have no intention of changing my mind regardless of your feelings on the matter, Mr Malfoy. I have no doubt your new partner has little desire to be stuck with you either, especially given your propensity to muck around during class and your tendency to not bother with your work, but she has the forbearance not to complain about the situation. Your attitude is typical of the problems the Headmaster wishes to fix and is, therefore, ripe to be looked at as a test case, so I would suggest you be aware of that in your future dealings with your new partner.'

'My father will hear of this,' Draco warned, his voice petulant.

Snape looked at him for a moment, then sighed loudly. 'I'm sure he will, Mr Malfoy. And if he queries it he will be told exactly the same as you. The remit of who works with whom within my lessons is entirely my decision and one by which you will abide. If you wish to continue complaining about the partnership I shall have you removed from the class which, I am sure I have no need to remind you, would severely impact your ability to complete the N.E.W.T. course and take the examination.'

Draco looked as if he had been slapped in the face, unable to comprehend why, suddenly, his Head of House had turned on him.

Looking stern, Snape added, 'Now, if you've quite finished with your objections I suggest you pack up your books and move to the workbench over there where I can keep an eye on you.' He pointed to a currently empty workbench directly in front of his desk, then turned to look at Hermione, who was sitting quietly, clutching her bag and looking no happier about the decision than Draco. 'You too, Miss Granger, chop chop. We haven't got all day, you know.'

Hermione stood up and slowly walked towards the workbench, looking resigned but unhappy. Harry gave her a sympathetic look as she passed him. With very bad grace Draco flung his belongings into his bag before storming across the room to the new seat he had been allocated. He glared at Harry, who was now paired with a Ravenclaw and hadn't had to move seats, wishing as he passed that he could wipe the smug look off the Gryffindor's face.

Harry couldn't help but look pleased that the Slytherin had been castigated by Snape, who was well known for never punishing students from his own House, although he did feel sorry for Hermione for her poor choice of partner and sent her another sympathetic look. Finally, Draco threw himself into his seat, turning slightly away from Hermione to make it clear he had no intention of working with her.

A few minutes later, once the class had completely settled and Snape had checked to make sure everyone was where they should be sitting, he looked down at a pile of parchments on his desk. He really hoped Malfoy wasn't going to continue to be so stubborn otherwise Granger was going to find their project extremely hard going, although knowing the sort of girl she was he had no doubt she would do her best to try to complete it even without Malfoy's help.

He just hoped that once the boy saw the complexity of the work involved, his desire to achieve a good mark would override his hatred of Muggle-borns and they would be able to work together, finding, as Snape was sure they would, that they actually made excellent partners when given the chance. He waved his wand and the stack of parchments flew into the air and moved out across the room, dropping onto the appropriate desks.

'On the parchment you are just receiving are the instructions for your individual projects, which will be conducted throughout most of this school year. As you will soon see, they are both complex and time-consuming. A great deal of your spare time will be spent working on them, giving you all ample opportunity to get to know your new partners considerably better,' Snape told them.

At the news that the project was going to last the whole year and would contain enough work to keep them busy during their free time as well as during working hours, a slowly growing rumble of complaint ran through the room. Everyone was thinking the same thing: surely they had enough work from all their other N.E.W.T. subjects to get through without adding a stupid Potions project to it?

Snape ignored the complainers and gave a cold smile before continuing, 'All of you have different projects with different objectives, so you will not be able to slide back into your usual partnerships to do the work with a view to passing it off later. These projects are designed to be extremely challenging as they will make up a considerable part of the mark towards your final exams, and will, therefore, need complete co-operation and commitment from each party to ensure the work is completed both accurately and in a timely manner. I will expect each pair to document the entire project, chronicling your procedures, explaining your decisions, and highlighting any areas of concern or particular achievement as the project progresses.

'This project will take most of the year to complete. I therefore intend to meet fortnightly with each pair to discuss how you are progressing and cover any concerns you may have. I shall produce a timetable for the meetings which will be placed on the noticeboard in your common rooms at the start of each month. It will be _your_ responsibility to check when your appointments are scheduled and to ensure that you attend, bringing with you all the work you have done up until that point. Please also note that unless one of you is seriously ill in the Hospital Wing or is in detention with another teacher and can provide a note to that effect, I expect _both_ partners to attend all update meetings.'

Hermione reached out for the parchment that was floating towards their workbench, but before she could take hold of it Draco snatched it away from her and turned his back on her completely as he began to read. Hermione sighed and settled back in her chair with a worried look as she waited for Draco to finish reading. She hoped he would eventually let her look at what they were going to be required to do.

Snape, having caught Draco's action, looked around the room at the rest of the students. It appeared that most of the Slytherins had acted like Malfoy; certainly all his close friends had copied his behaviour. Snape was aware they were the ones who would have the most work cut out for them to adapt as they all came from Death Eater backgrounds, and those from Slytherin House tended to be naturally secretive and didn't share very well, even with each other. But whether they liked it or not they had to co-operate with their new partners, and they might as well start sooner rather than later.

'Please remember that there are _two_ of you working on each project,' Snape told the class, his voice a lush drawl. 'I expect you will be eager to brainstorm your ideas of how to proceed, and that can only be done once both of you have read the document. If it makes it easier, imagine the two of you share an invisible bond that ties you together. Everything you do in tandem will aid you in successfully completing the project, whereas trying to go it alone will do nothing but hinder. This will become especially clear in the later stages. I therefore suggest you read the document _together_ and for the rest of the lesson begin to take notes on your first impressions.'

There was more grumbling from various members of the class, but eventually everyone except Draco was facing forward and sharing the parchment. Some of them, he was pleased to see — although admittedly not the Slytherins — had even begun to discuss and take notes.

Snape looked at Hermione, who was now drumming her fingers on the desk. He could understand her frustration and also her reluctance to engage with the boy with whom she'd had so many run-ins in the past. Malfoy was clearly not going to submit to the new partnership easily, and the boy having control of the project notes wouldn't help the situation. Snape knew he was going to have to intervene, even though he didn't want to. He stood up again and made his way over to the workbench Hermione and Draco were sharing. Hermione looked up at him nervously. Draco ignored the teacher, apparently completely engrossed in what was written on the parchment.

'Mr Malfoy, did you not hear me?' Snape asked quietly, his voice like steel. He waited for a moment as Draco, still looking bullish, lowered the parchment to look at him. 'I said you need to share the project notes with your partner. Please put them on the table where Miss Granger can look at them as well.'

Draco gazed at Snape eye-to-eye for a moment as if trying to outstare him but after a few seconds lowered his gaze. 'I'm not working with a Mudblood,' he said staunchly.

Snape's eyes hardened. 'I told you not to use that word,' he hissed. 'Give the parchment to Miss Granger immediately. I will see you at the end of the lesson.'

'I haven't finished reading it yet,' Draco said defiantly. He looked at Snape again as if daring him to do something.

'You have now,' Snape told him icily, without missing a beat. 'Give Miss Granger the parchment, pack up your belongings, and go and wait for me in my office. Do _not_ touch anything in there or you will be expelled. Do you understand?'

Draco stared at Snape with apparent loathing for a moment, then turned to sneer at Hermione and threw the parchment at her before leaning down to pick up his bag. Hermione caught hold of it and began to read, trying to ignore what was happening beside her. Draco stood up, and with another scowling look at both Hermione and Snape he turned and made his way towards the door of the Potion Master's study.

Snape waved his wand and the door to the room opened. He watched as Draco entered, then used his wand to close the door behind him. He glanced once more at Hermione but she was already busy making notes about what she was reading, so he left her to it and went back to his desk to watch the last few minutes of the lesson slowly tick away. His heart sank as he thought of the upcoming confrontation with Draco.

The Potions Master would win — he always did. Even Lucius' certain objection at the choice of partner for his son would hold no sway, especially since it was due to Dumbledore's edict. But that didn't make the task any easier or the argument he was about to have with the boy any more pleasant. Perhaps the couple working together without killing each other would be considered a success, although he still thought they could be the perfect partnership if they could just put aside their differences.

They certainly both had the potential. But to ensure that he had to stamp out all this Mudblood nonsense. If he could, at least, stop Malfoy calling Granger by that foul name they might just have the faintest hope of a chance of succeeding at the project, and perhaps the boy would finally understand that, clever as she was, Hermione Granger was no different than him.


	2. Chapter 2

'Are you ready yet, Malfoy?' Hermione asked coldly.

She had been waiting for Draco for almost twenty minutes while he faffed around doing Merlin only knew what and she was on the verge of telling him to go to hell. Although relations between them had improved somewhat over the weeks they had been working together on the project and he was no longer acting like the complete and utter tosser he had been for the previous six years she had known him, he still apparently couldn't help but wind her up on purpose every so often and she was sure this evening was one of those times.

Hermione was already feeling jittery because of what they had to do; his being a prat really wasn't helping things. It wasn't as if she could take matters into her own hands and leave him behind, nor could she get someone else to go with her as Harry and Ron were both busy with their own partners — who were so much easier to work with than Draco Malfoy.

'Yeah, in a minute,' Draco drawled dismissively. 'I don't know what your rush is, Granger. We've got plenty of time to get it done.'

'I want to get it over and done with,' Hermione admitted. 'I can't relax until it's out of the way.'

Draco looked at her appraisingly for a moment, then sighed loudly. He slammed closed the book he had been pretending to read and put it in his bag as he stood up.

'Come on, then, let's do it. You're right — the sooner we go, the sooner we'll get back. I suppose we ought to start brewing this evening, too. We've got our meeting with old Snape tomorrow, haven't we?' He made sure he sounded bored as if he was only doing this because he had no choice but to help her out and because he was fed up with her nagging.

'Seven-thirty tomorrow evening,' Hermione confirmed as she followed Draco out the door of the Great Hall. 'I think we're doing okay, though, and our records are all up to date.' She was tempted to add, 'No thanks to you,' as Malfoy had been a lazy git and left her to do all the recording of the project so far.

But Hermione knew she was something of a control freak and would have insisted on checking anything he did anyway, so it was probably better that she did it herself. She just wished she didn't have to go with him tonight, although being serious, it wasn't something he could do alone either, and their relationship wasn't yet so stable that she could suggest he take his cronies Crabbe and Goyle with him and leave her behind.

They walked out of the castle and down the hill in silence, each of them entrenched in their own thoughts. While Draco had finally been forced to concede his position against working with Hermione and had grudgingly realised, once they started working together, that she really was an excellent partner for him — work-wise, at least — he still had a problem with her being a Mudblood. It prevented him from becoming too friendly with her although he had stopped calling her by that name; mainly because of threats from Professor Snape to put him in detention if he didn't.

He had been purposely prevaricating because he knew that waiting for him would drive Hermione mad but also because if he was honest he had as little desire as she to undertake tonight's task. He wasn't scared, exactly, although his stomach still churned when he remembered his last visit to the Forbidden Forest. Hermione had been present on that occasion, too, and if anything she had been braver than him. Mind you, he had been stuck with that idiot Potter whilst she had been protected by the half-giant Hagrid, so she could afford to be brave. But tonight it would just be the two of them — the plants they needed weren't right on the outskirts, either, but a good fifteen or twenty-minute walk towards the centre of the forest.

'I really hate this place,' Hermione said vehemently as they entered the dark and forbidding wood. 'If I never had to come in here again it would be too soon.'

'I have to admit it's not my favourite place to spend the evening,' Draco agreed. He pointed towards a path heading through some overgrown trees. 'It's over that way.'

Hermione gave a huge sigh. 'Let's go and get it over and done with, then.' She headed towards the path, her wand, held out in front of her, providing only a little light in the gloom.

Draco was set to follow her but realised a little belatedly that, being male, he should actually be the one leading in order not to look like a coward.

'I'll go first, just in case,' he offered, and was pleased to hear that his voice sounded strong and steady.

Hermione smiled at him gratefully and he was surprised to realise it made him feel good. He passed by her and peered ahead of him as they walked rapidly towards the glade where the plants they needed grew. Although travelling fast, they were careful to keep quiet, not wanting to draw attention to themselves from any of the forest's many inhabitants. There were too many dangerous creatures roaming through these dark trees who would be happy to consider them as dinner. The walk seemed to be taking an eternity, even though they were both moving at a good pace, and Draco began to wonder whether they had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Some distance away through the trees something was moving, the noise of crackling twigs giving away its position. Draco listened carefully. It wasn't anywhere near them and whatever it was hadn't howled or made any other scary noises, so it was probably just a thestral or a centaur although he wasn't keen on bumping into even one of them in the dark. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He would definitely be glad once they reached their destination, got the ingredients, and made it back out of the forest, hopefully to never have to go in there again.

Silently, he cursed the inventor of the potion Snape had given them for deciding that the ingredients could only be collected after dark on the night of a new moon. He bet the man had never had to make a journey as dangerous as the one he and Hermione were undertaking. He cursed Snape, too, as the teacher must have known what he was doing by giving them the potion to make as part of their project.

Draco jumped, his heart skipping a beat, as Hermione slipped her hand into his and gripped it tightly. He didn't say anything, just held onto her as they continued along the path and eventually made their way out into the dimly lit glade. He heard Hermione let out a sigh of relief that they had arrived safely and she released her grip on his hand, moving away slightly as if she was embarrassed at what she had done.

'You collect left, I'll go right,' Draco told Hermione quietly. 'We'll meet in the middle, then get the hell out of here.'

She nodded, and still without saying anything she headed left. Draco wondered whether fear had made her lose her voice. He could understand how that could happen and out here in the dark he didn't feel inclined to rib her about it as he would normally do. Realising that he was just standing there while Hermione was already picking plants, he moved towards a large clump of Midnight Iris.

Hermione felt sick. She was trying to pick the plants they needed as rapidly as possible, but she was aware that whatever had been making a noise in the forest was still out there and it sounded as if it was getting closer, which caused her to shake with nervousness and slowed her down. She felt embarrassed that she had grabbed hold of Draco's hand, needing the reassurance that she wasn't alone, but it had made her feel better somehow and because of that she hadn't turned tail and run as she had been scared she might. She wasn't sure she could speak, though.

Draco had sounded so confident when he offered to go in front that she felt a bit silly for feeling so scared when he obviously wasn't. But she didn't dare say anything to him in case he took the piss out of her. She definitely didn't need to give him ammunition; he already had more than enough bad feelings toward her. What she had to do was focus on getting finished and returning to the castle where she could reward herself with a nice large mug of hot chocolate to take away the chill that was seeping through to her bones.

'How are you doing?' Draco asked, his voice taut and cold. He had finished collecting and was fighting the urge to leave Hermione behind.

'Almost there,' Hermione replied. Her voice sounded small and breathy and had a scared quality to it. 'Gods, I really want to be back at the castle.'

'You and me both,' Draco said.

He realised that Hermione being so scared had actually helped to make him less so, the need to protect her suddenly overwhelming him. He hurriedly walked over to where she was still picking clover and bent down to help her. They had just finished and packed the plants carefully in Draco's bag when the noise that had been worrying them earlier came again, this time far closer. They looked at each other anxiously. Whatever was making the noise was heading their way, and fast.

'What do you think it is?' Hermione whispered. She automatically moved closer to the blond boy.

Draco scanned the area rapidly. He couldn't see anything but he could definitely hear it. Whatever it was, it was large and relentless. He jumped as he saw movement in the trees ahead of them and instinctively grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her towards the path. For a moment she seemed to be frozen but as the noise grew louder she moved, too, her breathing shallow and thready as terror rose inside her.

Suddenly, there was a great sound of branches being torn up and a thundering of hooves. Without a second thought Draco pushed Hermione against a tree, shielding her with his body as several centaurs charged past them, seemingly taking no notice of the couple.

Draco stayed pressed against Hermione for another couple of minutes, waiting until the forest was still and silent again. They were so close he could feel her almost hyperactive breath hot on his neck and wasn't sure if what he felt was the rapid patter of her heart or his own.

'Centaurs,' Hermione whispered with relief. She sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. 'It was just centaurs.'

Draco moved back to release her and allow her to move away from the tree.

'Let's get out of here,' he said quietly. 'Those centaurs were agitated and I think they were looking for something.'

'I wonder what,' Hermione said as they hurried along the path. Her mind turned to the last time she had been in the forest, back in their fifth year. She thought of Hagrid's brother, Grawp and of the way the centaurs had attacked the giant before taking away the horrid then-Headmistress, Dolores Umbridge, who had deserved everything she had got, as far Hermione was concerned. She shuddered.

'I don't really care as long as we don't come into contact with it,' Draco replied honestly.

'There's that noise again,' Hermione said quietly a few minutes later. She looked worriedly about her as the noise of twigs snapping got louder. 'I don't think that's the centaurs, Draco.'

He took her hand and squeezed it sympathetically. 'Don't worry, we'll be fine just as long as we stay on the path. It's behind and to the side of us.'

Draco was glad that once again he sounded fearless as it certainly wasn't how he was feeling. Still holding Hermione's hand, he pulled her along more rapidly as he listened to the sound of the approaching creature, trying to gauge where they were likely to intercept it. She was right that it wasn't the centaurs returning. Whatever it was it was making a grunting noise as it stomped through the undergrowth.

From the corner of his eye he thought he spotted something slightly ahead of them, but it could have been a trick of the shadows that filled the area, the new moon doing little to light up the dark forest. He heard Hermione draw in a sharp, scared breath and knew she had seen it too.

'We need to run,' he told her urgently, releasing her hand. 'Don't worry about anything except getting out of the forest. Just keep to the path and run as fast as you can. I'll be with you.'

'But it's ahead of us,' Hermione moaned. She sounded terrified.

'That's why we need to run,' Draco said keeping his voice even in an attempt to soothe her and keep himself from freaking out. 'If we go now we should get ahead of it. Hopefully, it will continue on its current path and we'll get away without any further interaction. But we need to go now, Hermione.'

Hermione nodded but didn't move any faster. She was sure she had seen something ahead of them and was certain that running in that direction would take them straight into its path. But there was no other way out of the forest, at least not one that wouldn't take forever and be at least as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than the path they were already on.

'Come on, Granger,' Draco hissed. He could hear her scared breathing and knew she was stalling, but they had to go and go now. Loudly he said, '_Run!_'

As if his shout had freed her from some sort of invisible chains, Hermione was finally able to move. Draco's sharp voice cut the bonds that held her, the terror lifted, and the need to escape made adrenalin surge through her veins. She ran, desperately trying to focus only on the path in front, her wand giving a small bobbing light ahead of her that she followed.

Then there was a crashing sound close to her on the left and a loud bellowing grunt, and suddenly a forest troll, all pale green skin and brown straggly hair was rushing through the undergrowth towards her. Hermione screamed in terror but didn't stop running. Draco, who was slightly ahead, turned his head and cursed as he saw the troll change its route, now chasing after them.

'Faster, Granger,' he gasped, worried that the troll with its huge stride was gaining on them and would soon catch them up. He pointed his wand at the troll.

'_Stupefy!_'

The troll grunted and slapped at its body where the spell had hit it as if it was swatting a fly, but it didn't even slow down. Draco swore again and desperately tried to think of a spell that might at least halt it, but his brain wasn't working. Abandoning the idea of hexing the troll, he turned and fled, catching up with Hermione who had overtaken him as he cast the spell. They looked at each other for a second, both of them with pale, scared faces, then ran at full pelt, not caring about the noise they were now making in their desperation to get away.

There was another bellow, sounding close but fortunately no closer than before, but then Hermione gave a long, terrified scream that chilled Draco's blood right down to the bone. He turned his head to look at her but she was no longer there. It took him a few seconds to stop and another to turn round, and his heart clattered horrifyingly as he looked at the sight before him.

Hermione was sprawled on the floor, obviously having tripped or something, and she was trying to stand with little success. Her wand, which she had dropped in the fall, lay just out of reach. Coming towards her far more rapidly than Draco liked was the troll.

A little voice in Draco's brain was urging him to turn and run, to forget about Hermione, reminding him that she was a Mudblood and he was better off without her. Another few seconds and the troll would get her and then it would be too late anyway. Ignoring the voice, Draco darted forward to help Hermione up.

She screamed again as she realised the troll was closing on her. Her ankle was too badly damaged by the fall to allow her to stand; she couldn't even reach her wand to defend herself. She turned and stared at the oncoming troll, her stomach churning with fear, and screamed again, a sound full of terror and pain, then gasped as Draco pushed her wand into her hands and scooped her up.

Not bothering to see where the troll was as he already knew it was too close for comfort, Draco ran, not as fast as before because of Hermione, but still fast enough to put a little breathing space between them and the troll, who grunted in rage at Hermione's rescue. Ignoring everything but the edge of the forest, which must surely be close now, Draco ploughed onwards, determined that they would escape at any cost. He was so focussed on trying to keep running that he almost the missed the sound of the centaurs as they reappeared, crashing through the undergrowth to his right and surrounding the troll, which screamed in rage as it realised its quarry was about to escape. The troll swung at the centaurs then roared again when several shot arrows at it.

Draco didn't see this as he was too busy running. A huge sigh of relief escaped his burning lungs as he burst out of the forest and into the meadow beyond. He didn't stop although he did slow a little; Hermione's weight, although not unbearable, was beginning to tire him. Once they had got a safe distance from the forest he stopped and sinking to his knees in the long grass he gently released Hermione.

'Are you all right?' he asked wheezily, gazing at her worriedly as he gasped for breath.

'I'm fine,' Hermione answered, sounding sheepish. 'I'm so sorry, Draco. I got my foot caught in a tree root or something and went straight over. I think I've twisted my ankle. I can't put any weight on it.'

'At least we made it out,' Draco said with relief. 'For a minute I didn't think we would.' He moved closer to her and pulled down her sock, looking at the already swelling ankle. 'That looks painful; it might be broken.'

'I expect it's just a sprain. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will fix it in a jiffy. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to work on the potion this evening,' Hermione said as she stared at him gratefully. She was ashen-faced and clearly in pain.

Draco, now fully recovered, picked her up again. 'Don't worry about that. We've got plenty of time. We'll start on it tomorrow once we've both recovered.'

Hermione, her heart still pounding, wrapped her arms around Draco's neck. 'You quite literally saved my life, Draco,' she said quietly. 'Thank you.'

Before Draco had a chance to respond Hermione kissed him. Her lips were soft and her breath was warm and sweet as her mouth covered his. Draco pulled her closer and kissed her back, ferocious in his response. They continued kissing for several minutes, and when they finally broke apart they looked at each other a little awkwardly, neither really sure what to say.

Draco was the first to speak and his voice sounded huskier. 'I should get you back to the Hospital Wing. You need to get your ankle looked at.'

He imagined for a moment how it would look to his friends, him carrying Hermione into the school, but then he thought about the kiss they had just shared and decided he didn't care.

Hermione, who had turned a faint shade of pink, shook her head. 'Take me to Hagrid's.'

Draco looked disgusted. 'What use is that oaf going to be? You need to get to the Hospital Wing, Hermione.'

'I know. But if you take me to Hagrid's he'll carry me up there, which will save your back and let you save face with your friends,' Hermione explained matter-of-factly. Draco looked at her in surprise. 'You don't want your friends to know you missed a chance to get rid of me, do you? That would really ruin your nasty Slytherin hard-man image,' she added with a grin.

Draco looked uneasy for a second as he thought guiltily about the little voice that had tried to make him leave Hermione to the troll. Had she realised that he had considered letting her die?

'I don't mind carrying—' Draco started, astonished to find himself admitting it.

Hermione put a finger over his lips to stop him from saying anything more. 'Take me to Hagrid's.' She released her finger.

Draco stared at her for a moment, then he kissed her again.

'Hagrid's,' Hermione told him when he finished.

Her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to erupt from her chest, and she was sure she was shaking. She had no idea why she had kissed Draco in the first place, except that she had felt so grateful for what he had done for her that a simple thank you just didn't seem to be enough. She had even less idea why Draco had kissed her the second time, but she knew she liked it. She also knew that nothing could ever come of it.

At the moment both their emotions were running high on giddy euphoria at surviving the encounter with the troll, but soon things would return to normal — Draco would still be a bigoted Pure-blood Slytherin and she a Muggle-born Gryffindor — and whilst their relationship might have been slightly strengthened by their experience tonight, there was no way Draco would ever see her as anything other than a worthless Mudblood. His family upbringing wouldn't allow it.

Draco carried her to Hagrid's hut although they didn't speak, both of them immersed in their own thoughts. He stopped outside the door but seemed reluctant to knock for some reason.

'He's not going to bite,' Hermione said with amusement.

'I'm aware of that,' Draco replied tartly.

'Don't worry, I'll explain to him what happened. Anyway, he needs to know about the troll in case the centaurs don't manage to rein it in.'

Seemingly mollified by this explanation, Draco stepped forward so Hermione could knock on the door.

Immediately Fang, Hagrid's massive boarhound, started barking and they heard Hagrid's gruff voice telling him to calm down. A moment later the door opened and the half-giant stood in the doorway looking down on them. The light from the room beyond streamed through the door around him and made the teacher impossible to see except as a massive shadow.

''ermione, is that you? Are you alrigh'?' he asked worriedly. He moved forward to gently take her from Draco. 'Wha' 'appened?'

'There's a troll in the Forbidden Forest,' Draco said. 'The centaurs were dealing with it but we thought you ought to know.'

'Wha' were _you_ doing in the Forbidden Forest?' Hagrid asked Draco coldly as he placed Hermione onto one of his large seats.

'We had to get the ingredients for our potion,' Hermione explained hurriedly, knowing that Hagrid was suspicious of Draco and his motives for doing anything. 'The recipe specified that it had to be after dark on the night of the new moon. We got the plants, but then there was this noise and a big green troll came after us. We ran but I tripped over a tree root or something and twisted my ankle. To be honest, I thought I was going to get eaten, but Draco picked me up and got us out of there and then the centaurs turned up and they were attacking it.'

Hagrid turned to look at Draco, regarding him a little less suspiciously at Hermione's words.

'Thank you for 'elping 'ermione, Malfoy. It was good of you,' he said, trying not to sound grudging.

Draco shrugged. 'Anyone would have done the same. I should be getting back to the castle, I suppose . . . that is, if you don't mind carrying Hermione up to the Hospital Wing?'

'Course I will,' Hagrid assured him. 'I jus' need to go and check wha' the centaurs have done first and we'll be right up.'

'I'll see you tomorrow, Draco,' Hermione said with a smile. 'And thank you again.'

Their eyes met for a moment and Hermione could feel the start of another blush as she remembered the kisses they had shared. Draco smirked at her and she felt herself redden even more.

'I hope Madam Pomfrey sorts your ankle out okay. I'll see you in the morning,' he said, and turning, with a wave he left the hut.

'Are you alrigh' to wait here while I talk to the centaurs or do you need to get tha' ankle seen to immediately?' Hagrid asked solicitously. He offered Hermione a cold, wet tea towel to put on the sprain.

Hermione took the tea towel and wrapped it around her ankle, wincing as she did so. 'I'll be fine to wait. You need to make sure the troll's sorted out. We don't want it getting into the castle.' She shuddered at the thought.

'Malfoy was very 'elpful . . . which isn't like him at all,' Hagrid said thoughtfully.

'He saved my life,' Hermione replied fervently. 'If Draco hadn't come back to get me and then carried me all the way out of the forest the troll would have got me, Hagrid. He was incredibly brave tonight.'

'I still don't understand why he was so 'elpful, though. 'e's never made any effort to be nice to you before, 'ermione,' Hagrid pointed out.

'We've been working together on this Potions project and I think maybe it's made him change his opinion of me a little,' Hermione said. 'It's changed mine, too, especially after tonight. I mean, he's still a prat and unfortunately still prejudiced against Muggle-borns, but he hasn't called me a Mudblood for over a month so he's definitely improving.'

'I'll be back soon,' Hagrid said as he opened the door. Fang rushed outside, barking joyfully, and the half-giant followed him.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione looked around her, wondering where Rachel had got to. She had expected her friend to wait for her, although to be fair there had been quite a queue in the loo. She didn't really like hanging around on her own as it made her feel self-conscious; these days she was no longer confident around Muggles, having spent most of her time with wizards. She debated for a moment whether to head into the main club area to look for her friend but changed her mind when the door swung open and a group of people headed in to join the throng.

From the amount of noise that billowed out the briefly opened door and the glimpse she caught of the crowd inside, Hermione realised that if she went in, Rachel would never be able to find her. There were far too many people in there and the music was too loud for sustained conversation. She leant back on the wall, tapping her foot against the brightly painted concrete as she waited for Rachel to come back from wherever she had gone. A few minutes later, just as Hermione was beginning to worry that something had happened to her friend, Rachel burst out of the door, smiling as she headed towards the waiting girl.

'Mia, come and meet a friend of mine called Adrian. I didn't know he was going to be in tonight but I just bumped into him at the bar. He's quite eager to meet my best friend as I've told him loads about you.' She looked at Hermione's face, which showed a trace of reluctance and raised her hands in supplication as she shook her head, flicking her long dark hair. 'Don't worry, I haven't been trying to set you up with him. I just said you were here and he wants to meet you as he's heard me talk about you a gazillion times. You're going to love him, honestly. He's the loveliest bloke I've met in ages . . . and he's a blond. I know you've got a real thing about blonds.'

'I don't have a thing about blonds,' Hermione retorted in surprise. 'What on earth makes you think that?'

Rachel laughed. 'Of course you do. All the guys you've ever fancied were blond. You've always been quite picky about it, whereas I've never been as fussy as you. As far as I'm concerned a hot boy is a hot boy, regardless of hair colour.'

'Well, you're definitely right about you not being fussy. You went out with Nigel Dover and he was gross,' Hermione said with a slight grimace.

Rachel shook her head. 'He wasn't _that_ bad. Anyway, I only went out with him so his older brother would notice me . . . now _he_ was hot.'

Hermione wrinkled her nose. 'What, Paul? I didn't think much of him either.'

'He wasn't blond, though, was he?' Rachel said wickedly as if that proved her point. 'I told you, every bloke you've ever been interested in has been blond.'

'Not all of them were,' Hermione insisted, and she flushed as she thought for a second about Viktor Krum and then of Ron with his bright red hair.

'So you've become less picky these days, have you?' Rachel asked, sounding amused. 'Then again, I suppose you would have to, stuck at boring boarding school where the selection doesn't change much. Or do you get a chance to go out clubbing? What do you normally do at weekends?'

Hermione shrugged, ignoring the barb about the type of men she fancied. 'Not much, to be honest. We're only allowed out of school once a month to visit the local village, and that's during the day. It's got a couple of pubs but that's about it. There are definitely no nightclubs involved. Actually, I'm not sure the wizarding world would know what a nightclub was.'

'Once a month . . . that's barbaric! Tell me there are at least places you can go on school grounds to have a bit of fun,' Rachel said, looking horrified at the idea of being allowed out only once a month.

'It depends on what you mean by fun,' Hermione replied cagily. 'Sport is very popular at Hogwarts and there are plenty of different clubs.'

'What, like chess club? How incredibly snore-inducing. I'm amazed you haven't died of boredom at that place. So what about places to get a bit jiggy — Hogwarts does have those, does it?'

'Jiggy, what does that mean?' Hermione asked laughingly. 'We have parties in the common room sometimes and they usually have music, if that's what you mean.'

'Don't you play dense with me, little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, you know exactly what I mean,' Rachel said with a wicked smile. 'I'm talking about places to get up close and extremely personal with a sexy boy. I mean, I assume there are _some_ sexy boys at your school?'

'Surprisingly few for such a big place, actually. And there's a lot of politics, which creates a lot of bigotry, unfortunately.' Hermione frowned as Rachel looked at her inquisitively. She waved her hand as if to dismiss the comment. 'It's hard to explain the situation, especially without being depressing — and tonight is definitely _not_ about being depressing. If you really want to know, ask me about it tomorrow before I go back to school.'

'But there must be _some_ hunky wizards there, surely?' Rachel persisted. 'What's the point of having all that magic if you can't use it to look hot?'

Hermione laughed. 'Very few people use magic to change their looks, Rach. It's far too dangerous mucking around with that stuff. Eloise Midgen tried to get rid of her acne a few years ago but that went really badly wrong and she ended up losing her nose.'

Rachel looked horrified. 'Her nose! What happened to her?'

Hermione chuckled. 'Don't worry, the school nurse re-attached it for her. She was fine afterwards and her acne has begun to clear up a bit, finally.'

'So there are no hotties at Hogwarts at all?' Rachel sounded disappointed.

Hermione grinned. 'I didn't say there were _none_ just that there were very few. Anyway, as we've just established you and I have a very different idea of what's hot, so maybe you'd think the whole school was full of them, especially if you think the Dover boys were such a good catch.'

'So come and meet Adrian and then you can tell me what you think of him. He's an interesting guy and he's handsome as hell but sweet as anything . . . at least he has been every time I've met him.'

'Is he at school with you?' Hermione asked interestedly.

Rachel shook her head. 'No, I met him here at the club. He's been coming regularly since the holidays started. I probably shouldn't get involved with him really, but I'm just looking at it as a holiday fling type of thing — just a bit of fun. Although actually, I reckon he might be more your type.'

'Why, because he's blond?' Hermione asked drily.

'No, because he's a bit odd and I think he goes to boarding school, too,' Rachel said musingly.

'Great, you think he'll suit me 'cos he's odd,' Hermione huffed, although she said it good-naturedly.

'I didn't mean like that, Mia. What I mean is that he's not your typical bloke although there is something a bit strange about him — maybe he's one of your lot in disguise. Anyway, I just think he might be your type. He's really handsome, really thoughtful . . . and he's blond.'

Hermione sighed. 'Sounds like the perfect man to me, but I can't believe he's thoughtful _and_ handsome. Those two things rarely go together in my experience. Usually those good-looking guys know it and feel pretty entitled.'

Rachel looked interestedly at Hermione. 'Is that experience talking?'

Hermione shrugged. 'No, not really. Although I do know one or two real arseholes who think they're god's gift to the world, and one of them is blond.' She sighed. 'Rach, please tell me we didn't come here just so you could fix me up with some bloke that you think's a bit too weird for you.'

Rachel laughed. 'No, of course not, we're here for a girls' night out. I honestly didn't even know Ady was going to be here tonight. But it would be rude not to talk to him now we know, wouldn't it?'

Hermione reluctantly agreed and Rachel took hold of her hand and led her through the door into the club and over towards the bar, then tapped a tall blond-haired boy on the shoulder. Hermione watched in surprise as he turned to reveal the face of Draco Malfoy.

Before she had a chance to say anything Draco said hurriedly, and sounding equally surprised, 'So you're the lovely Rachel's best friend, are you? What's your name?'

Hermione's eyes narrowed. 'Hermione,' she said coldly. 'But you already know that don't you, Dr—'

'My name's Adrian,' Draco replied smoothly, cutting her off before she could say his name. His eyes glinted as he looked at Hermione and he took her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. 'It's a real pleasure to meet you, Hermione. Would you like a drink? I was just about to get one.'

'She'll have a glass of dry white wine, the same as me . . . and make them large,' Rachel said with a smile. She gave Draco a kiss on his cheek. 'Don't worry about Mia, Ady. She can be a little shy and prickly until you get to know her, but you'll soon find she's got a wicked sense of humour . . . and she's got a real thing about blonds.'

'Has she?' Draco asked sounding interested, his eyebrows rising in amusement as he said it.

'Rachel, I do not have a thing about blonds. I don't know why you keep saying that,' Hermione retorted shortly.

'That's because you do, sweetie, even if you don't want to admit it. There might not be much talent at that school of yours which is why you've had to look elsewhere recently, but you have to admit that a blond always makes your heart flutter.' Rachel gave her a big grin, her dark eyes glinting wickedly.

Hermione shook her head at her friend in exasperation but didn't bother replying. She could feel her cheeks burning and was glad it was so dark in the club that no one could see them. What she was more interested in was what Draco was doing there and why he was pretending to be someone else and she could feel her anger at him rising as she thought about the fact that he was toying with her best friend, her best friend who was a Muggle.

Had he known Rachel was Hermione's friend and targeted her specifically? If so she wasn't going to be very happy with him for putting her friend in danger and she wanted to know how he knew. Draco had finished buying the drinks and turned, handing Hermione a glass of wine. She thanked him but was unable to keep the cold tone out of her voice.

'So tell me more about your interest in blonds, Hermione,' Draco said, clearly winding her up.

'I don't have a thing about blonds,' Hermione replied stiffly. 'Rachel thinks I have because I don't like the guys she fancies. We just have a completely different taste in men, that's all.'

'Really?' Draco managed to sound disappointed. 'So I take it that means you have no interest in me, then?' His eyes glinted again.

'Straight in for the kill, eh?' Rachel said with a laugh. 'You're not wasting any time, Ady.' She turned to Hermione. 'Didn't I tell you he was adorable?'

'As I said, you and I have completely different taste in men,' Hermione responded tartly. She sipped her wine, trying to calm down. She couldn't let Draco rattle her and she needed to find out what he was doing with her friend.

'Don't you like him?' Rachel asked, her voice by Hermione's ear as she tried to talk quietly but over the sound of the music. Hermione shrugged. 'I know he's been a bit forward with you, but I think that's 'cos he likes you.'

Hermione had to bite back the snort of derision that almost came to her lips at that comment and she shook her head. 'I think you're way off, actually. I think he's just being a wind-up merchant.'

'Perhaps you should dance with him, get to know him a bit better,' Rachel suggested.

'I've no desire to get to know him better,' Hermione retorted but Rachel was already turning away to talk to Draco again.

'Let's dance,' he said a few minutes later, as the latest song had changed the music to something a little slower. He held out his hand to Hermione as Rachel tried to take her drink away from her.

'I don't really want to dance,' Hermione said, but she knew she would have no choice so there was no point in prolonging the protestations. At least she could use the time to find out what Draco was up to.

'What the hell are you doing here?' she hissed at him as they moved away from Rachel, Draco holding her rather more tightly than she felt entirely comfortable with.

'I've been coming to see Rachel,' Draco said matter-of-factly. 'She's a wonderful girl and I like being with her. I was trying to spend as much time with her as I could before we have to go back to school.'

'She's a Muggle, so why would you be interested in her?' Hermione asked, her voice pinched and suspicious. 'And why are you calling yourself Adrian? I should tell her that you're lying to her.'

For a moment Draco squeezed Hermione tighter still, as if in anger, but then he relaxed a little. His pale eyes found hers and gazed deeply into them.

'I didn't mean to get involved with her, honestly, Hermione. I met her a week ago and we got talking, then went for a drink together. She's pretty, intelligent, and fun to be with, and she obviously quite liked me, so I carried on seeing her. It isn't serious, although I have to admit I would love things to go further. I think she's fantastic.'

'It wasn't because of me, then?' Hermione asked.

Draco gave a sharp bark of a laugh. 'Amazingly, very little of what I do has anything to do with you, Hermione. I didn't even know she was your friend until this evening. She had talked about her best friend being at boarding school but she never mentioned your name, at least not your real one, and as she's a Muggle it never even occurred to me that the friend she was talking about might be you.'

'She's always called me Mia,' Hermione told him, 'since we were about four. She couldn't say Hermione at that age and Mia stuck as a pet name.'

'Of course, she'd told me so much about this fantastic friend I couldn't wait to meet you,' Draco said. 'Imagine my surprise when it was you standing there.'

'Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered you were called Adrian,' Hermione retorted. 'Why did you lie to her?'

'I was being careful,' Draco admitted. 'As I said, I really like Rachel and didn't want to put her in a difficult position so I told her I was Adrian Pucey.'

'But you're nothing like Adrian Pucey.'

'She doesn't know that, though, does she?' Draco pointed out.

'But I still don't understand why you didn't just tell her the truth,' Hermione said.

Draco looked at her in exasperation. 'Think about it, Hermione. You know what my father's like, and I'm sure you can imagine how he'd react if he found me "fraternising" with a Muggle. Imagine, his wonderful Pure-blood son becoming a blood-traitor. It would make him furious and Merlin only knows what he would do, and not just to me. But if Adrian Pucey was caught with a Muggle he wouldn't care. Oh, he might make a joke about it or say something disparaging, as it was a Slytherin letting the side down, but he wouldn't feel the need to get personally involved.'

'Adrian's dad might, though,' Hermione pointed out.

'They're not Death Eaters,' Draco said dismissively. 'Adrian's dad probably couldn't care less. He'd more than likely just be glad his son had finally managed to pull a woman.'

'I understand why you did it, but that doesn't mean it was right. You lied to my best friend,' Hermione told him, still sounding annoyed.

'I thought those two knobs you hang around with at school were your best friends,' Draco said. 'What on earth are you doing with a Muggle best friend, anyway? How the hell did you manage to keep that relationship going when you had to keep Hogwarts a secret?'

'Harry and Ron are my best friends at Hogwarts but Rachel has been my best friend all my life — and I haven't kept it a secret from her,' Hermione admitted.

Draco looked at her in surprise. 'But telling a Muggle who isn't a relation about our world breaks all sorts of wizarding laws, Hermione. You could be in real trouble.'

'I didn't really have any choice. Rach and I had been inseparable since we met at playschool. We're more like sisters than friends. We planned for years what we were going to do when we went to secondary school . . . and beyond. When I discovered I was a witch it completely ruined everything. How was I supposed to keep that a secret from the person I loved most in the world after my parents? So I told her about everything, the magic and Hogwarts, and made her swear to keep it a secret. And she has. We talk about it when we're alone but never when we're with other friends.'

'You have other Muggle friends, too?' Draco said, sounding astonished, although Hermione couldn't work out whether that was because he was surprised she had friends or that they were Muggles.

'Not really any longer,' Hermione admitted with a sigh. 'We were friends with some other girls until I went to Hogwarts. We told them I had to go to a special school as I was so intellectually advanced. I had always been at the top of the class, even in junior school. Some of them were a bit jealous, I guess and stopped talking to me completely. But to be honest, Rach and I had always been a bit out from the group. I was actually worried for a while that they wouldn't accept her and she'd be alone and lonely once I went off to Hogwarts, but as you've discovered, she's such a lovely girl that everyone wants to be friends with her. So now when I come back home during school holidays I spend a majority of my time with her, and sometimes that includes her other friends.'

'I actually think it's great that you've managed to keep a Muggle friend for so long,' Draco said. 'It's very rare. Has she never asked to see Hogwarts?'

'She did in the early days. I used to write her long letters so she could visualise the place, but she understands about the concealing charms and knows she would never be able to see it as we do, and that dulled the interest for her somewhat,' Hermione replied. She grinned. 'Anyway, I think these days her interest is more in the _occupants_ of Hogwarts than the buildings and the wizardry. My dear friend does have something of a one-track mind.'

'And you have a thing for blonds,' Draco added. He pulled her a little tighter again.

Hermione stiffened. 'I told you that's complete rubbish. It's just Rachel's perception based on a few boys I've been out with that she knows about.'

'Shame, I was sure you fancied me,' Draco said with a smile. His voice was suddenly huskier.

'Dream on,' Hermione told him brusquely as she pulled away from him. 'I've had enough of dancing. Are you going to tell Rachel who you really are?'

'I hadn't intended to,' Draco admitted. 'Why, are you going to force me into it?'

Hermione shrugged. 'I'm not sure it matters actually, as we're going back to school tomorrow. She thinks you're cute but a bit too odd for her. I guess she's picking up on your magic, however well you're trying to hide it.'

'Really? That's rather disappointing to hear,' Draco said, sounding a little crestfallen. 'I really like her and I thought we were getting on pretty well.'

'Oh, you were. But for some reason she's decided you suit me better.' Hermione gave a small grimace.

'Perhaps we should give it a go, then,' Draco said wickedly, pulling her back towards him. 'Especially now I know your love of blonds.'

'Oh, for Merlin's sake, Draco. For the last time, I do _not_ like blonds any more than I like anyone else,' Hermione said exasperatedly. 'And even if I did, _you_ wouldn't be on the list.' She pulled away from him once more. Her voice got harder as she continued, 'I won't say anything to Rachel at the moment, but if I find out you've lied to her about anything else or she ends up in trouble because of you I will tell her, so just make sure you treat her right.'

Draco grabbed hold of Hermione's hand to stop her from walking away. 'Don't worry. I've got no intention of letting her get into trouble. I promise you she'll be fine.'

Hermione noticed he was stroking her hand, and feeling uncomfortable, she began to flex it to make him let go.

'We should get back to Rachel,' she mumbled.

'She's trying to pair us up so I'm sure she's not worried about us leaving her alone for a couple of minutes,' Draco pointed out.

'I don't want to talk about this any longer,' Hermione said, and pulling her hand from his she walked back towards the bar where Rachel was waiting for them, not waiting to see what Draco would do.

'You and Adrian make a nice couple,' Rachel said jovially as Hermione joined her and picked up her glass of wine.

Hermione shook her head. 'Nothing's going on there, so stop pushing, Rach.' She took a large mouthful of her drink.

'Oh, I dunno, I think Adrian's quite interested. He was certainly holding you tightly enough.'

'Well, he might be, but I'm not,' Hermione told her bluntly. 'So can we just get on with having a good evening and forget about trying to pair me up with someone I've no interest in?' She took another large swig of her wine to indicate that as far as she was concerned the subject was closed.

Rachel smiled again. 'Of course. Do you want to go and dance again? I've got the urge to set the floor alight with some wicked moves.'

Hermione drank the last of her drink and put her now empty glass back on the bar. 'Let's do it.'

She followed Rachel onto the dance floor, and if she wondered where Draco had gone it was only for a moment.

* * *

'Please say you forgive me,' Rachel said, her voice wheedling.

She sounded miserable, Hermione thought, but she was sure that was just a front. She knew her best friend wasn't really feeling guilty at all. Despite all her assurances to the contrary, Rachel had spent her entire evening stirring things up between Hermione and Draco, not understanding what she was dredging up with her stirring. And it was fairly and squarely her fault that he had . . . Hermione clamped down on the memory. She didn't want to think about what had happened, or how she had reacted. But at the end of the day, Rachel was still her best friend; she couldn't have known what an error she was making in attempting to set the two of them up.

She just thought Hermione was being shy; she didn't know the real situation between them. Hell, she didn't even know Draco's real name. In all the years Hermione had been at Hogwarts she had rarely told Rachel about the problems she faced as a Muggle-born, not wanting to upset or worry her friend.

She thought a few times she might have briefly mentioned the boy who had made it his mission to make most of her school life a misery, just to get the frustration out of her system. But she was fairly certain she had never mentioned his name. Of course, even if she had, Rachel would still not have made the connection since she knew him as Adrian, not Draco.

'Please, Mia, talk to me. Tell me you're not angry with me.' Rachel's voice sounded even more miserable when Hermione didn't answer immediately.

Hermione sighed loudly. 'Of course I'm not angry with you, Rach. I can never be angry with you, you know that. But I did tell you I wasn't interested and I wish you'd just listened to me for once. You put me in a really difficult position with Dr . . . Adrian.'

Rachel sighed, too. 'I know, and I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have interfered. But he's such a nice guy and I felt really bad about letting him down, and it was so obvious that he likes you, and you made such a lovely couple when you were dancing, and I just thought . . . .' Her voice trailed off guiltily.

'I know what you thought, but you were wrong,' Hermione said, her voice a little colder than she had meant it to be. She heard the slight gasp which told her she had upset Rachel with her comment. Relenting, she said more gently, 'But it doesn't matter, I love you anyway. Are you coming round? I need to get packed up for going back to school tomorrow and I can't go out until I'm sorted. I've got a shed-load of washing that needs doing and I really need to go through my trunk and see what junk's accumulated in there. You're welcome to join me.'

'I'll be round in ten minutes,' Rachel said, clearly sounding much happier now. 'I can't think of anything I'd like more than to help you with a load of chores.'

'The quicker we get it done, the quicker we can do something more interesting,' Hermione pointed out.

'Okay, okay, I'm on my way. See you later, 'gator.'

'In a while, crocodile,' Hermione added, a smile on her face as she recalled the hundreds of times they had ended their calls that way. She put the phone down and walked back to the washing machine and bent down to sort out the huge pile of washing.

* * *

'Oh my god, I have to say the look on your face when he kissed you was absolutely priceless,' Rachel said with a laugh. She was laying on her back on Hermione's bed looking up at the ceiling, her long, dark hair fanning out around her. 'And I still can't decide who looked more shell-shocked once it finished — you or Adrian.'

Hermione was holding up two books and debating which, if either, she needed to take back to school with her. She dropped one on the floor and opened the other and rapidly flicked through it. She closed the book with a thud and placed it on the floor to her left, then picked up the other book and did the same.

'Me, I should think,' she said offhandedly. 'I wasn't expecting the kiss nor did I want it.'

'Well, for someone who didn't want a kiss you reacted pretty well,' Rachel pointed out slyly. 'I thought you were going to suck each other's faces off.' She grinned. 'I was on the verge of telling you to get a room because it was getting indecent.'

'It was just a kiss,' Hermione retorted as she pulled a stack of parchment towards her and flicked through it, although her cheeks burned as she spoke and as she remembered the kiss. If she was honest it had been quite passionate, more so than the ones that had happened between them on the night of the Forbidden Forest incident, but it didn't mean anything. It was just another stupid one-off and didn't really require thinking about or being treated as anything other than what it was.

'Well, whatever it was, you both looked pretty stunned when it ended,' Rachel said with a chuckle. She rolled over onto her front and hung her head off the end of the bed as she watched Hermione add another book to the ever-growing pile to her left.

'Can we not talk about this?' Hermione asked, more interested in the books she was checking than a conversation about the previous night. Without thinking, she added, 'Draco kissed me because you put him up to it. It happened, it's over, and nothing else is going to happen, so let's just stop talking about it, shall we?'

'Who's Draco?' Rachel asked with a frown.

Immediately realising her mistake, Hermione silently cursed herself — and Draco. She hadn't been concentrating and his name had slipped out without thinking. She dropped the book she was holding and stood up to join Rachel, who had now sat up and was looking upset.

'Adrian is Draco,' she admitted guiltily with a sigh. 'He's a boy in my year at Hogwarts. I think I may have mentioned him a few times in my letters to you, although maybe not his name. He's the one Harry, Ron and I have always had problems with because of his crappy attitude. I told you last night there was a lot of bigotry and nastiness at Hogwarts and unfortunately, Draco is one of its biggest proponents.'

Rachel looked shocked and hurt. 'But I thought he was so nice. He was always so kind and attentive to me. I thought he liked me, but obviously he was lying all along. And now you say he's an enemy of yours, Mia? Does that mean he only got to know me to get at you? Is that why he didn't tell me what his name really was? And why did he kiss you if you hate each other so much?'

Hermione shook her head. 'He definitely _wasn't_ using you, Rach, especially not to get at me. He had no idea you and I were even friends. You never told him my real name so he had no idea it was me until we met at the club. And although I know you won't believe me, he actually changed his name because he really likes you and was trying act nobly for once in his life. I know he's an idiot, but this time he was trying to do the right thing, which is why I didn't tell you he'd lied about his name.

'As for things between me and him, they've improved a little this year as we've been working together on a Potions project, but I wouldn't really call us friends — and certainly no more than that. The kiss was just a way for him to wind me up — which was all because you said I fancied blonds — although actually, he winds me up on a fairly regular basis anyway. But that's why there's nothing more to it and why I was so annoyed at you trying to match-make.'

'But I still don't understand why he lied to me,' Rachel said. She looked really hurt.

Hermione took her hands and gave a small sigh. 'Look, I'll try to explain it to you, but not here. Let's go and grab a coffee or something. I could do with a break from packing.' She stood up, then, feeling she should say something more, added, 'Please don't think too badly of Draco. He really does like you . . . and you did reject him, remember.'

'Well, I'm glad I did now. At least we didn't do anything but kiss a few times,' Rachel said bitterly. 'Although I feel terrible knowing I pushed so hard to get the two of you together. No wonder you were unhappy with me, Mia.'

Hermione's stomach constricted at Rachel's words. She had no idea why, although maybe it was because she had been worried that her friend had done more with Draco than just kiss. She was certainly relieved that it hadn't gone any further between them.

'It wasn't specifically because it was Draco. To be honest, I would have been the same with anyone, Muggle or wizard. I'm not really in the market for a boyfriend at the moment,' Hermione insisted. 'I'm sure you'll understand better once I explain it. If it's any consolation, I think you saw a side of Draco that most of us at Hogwarts don't ever get to see. Circumstances mean he wears a very particular type of mask when he's at school.' She held out her hand and pulled Rachel from the bed. 'Come on, then, old girl. I fancy a cake, actually. Shall we go and get one from the bakery? I can explain as we go.'


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione had been feeling strange ever since she got on the train for school. Part of it, she knew, was because of what had happened between her and Draco in the club; she wasn't particularly eager to have to face him when remembrance of their kiss, and the ones previous, were still so prominent in her mind. She also didn't want to have to admit that she had given away his secret, albeit accidentally. She suspected he wasn't going to be too happy about that, even though it was unlikely, considering Rachel's rejection of him, that he would be spending any time with her best friend in the future.

As she anticipated, Rachel was shocked and worried when Hermione explained about Muggle-borns and Pure-bloods and the hatred that infected the wizarding world. Her best friend was horrified to learn of Draco's past and was profusely apologetic once more about the way she had tried to push Draco and Hermione together. Hermione reassured her once again, then went on to explain why he had pretended to be someone else.

At first, Rachel hadn't been particularly understanding which was, of course, only to be expected. She was, after all, feeling hurt at his deception, however good his reasons for it were, and Hermione knew that had she been in her friend's shoes she would have felt exactly the same. But eventually, Hermione had managed to make Rachel understand that what Draco had done was because he genuinely cared about her, and as her friend's sudden hatred of the boy began to wane, Hermione found herself pleased by the outcome.

She wasn't entirely sure why she was going to such lengths to redeem Draco's name when he had always been so generally unlikeable, but suddenly it seemed important that she do so. As she considered it later on the train on the way to Hogwarts, she wondered whether in some small way it was repayment for him saving her life, something for which she was still extremely grateful although she hadn't told anyone other than Hagrid and Rachel about it.

Hermione had suffered nightmares for several weeks after that night in the forest, and although not every dream was about the troll, every one of them contained the same fears and anxieties. There was always a moment when Hermione was about to fall prey and there was that piquant terror that Draco would leave her this time, would choose to not save the Mudblood who been the bane of his life for so many years. But in dream after dream, like a knight in shining armour, Draco had rescued her and Hermione, grateful and relieved beyond belief, had kissed him just as she had done in real life.

But she didn't want to think about the kisses; those sweet and heady moments of madness that made her heart pound and her blood race; those tiny fragments of joy that she wanted to cling to while they were happening but wanted to forget almost as soon as they were over. No, she most definitely did _not_ want to think about the kisses.

Although Hermione would have preferred to keep away from him, Draco came to find her almost as soon as they got to Hogwarts, reminding her that they had a meeting that evening with Professor Snape to discuss the project and that they needed to catch up and work out what they were going to say to him. She felt a little guilty at her desire to hide from him, especially as he had been nothing but pleasant to her and soon found herself agreeing to get together with him after Arithmancy class, their final lesson of the day, as both of them had a free period afterwards. They left the classroom and walked together in silence towards the door to the castle, intending to go and sit down by the lake as the weather was unseasonably clement and sunny.

They sat there, Hermione feeling somewhat awkward and still feeling a little guilty at what she had done. Not wanting Draco to speak first and say something she didn't want to hear, Hermione bit her bottom lip nervously and said, 'Rachel knows your name isn't Adrian.'

Draco's eyes flashed with annoyance but his voice was calm as he asked, 'Why did you tell her? You knew I wasn't going to see her again. Did you do it on purpose to make sure?'

'It was an accident,' Hermione admitted ruefully. 'I was packing for school and she was talking about the club and about you and . . . .' She broke off for a moment as the conversation about the kiss came into her mind, and she blushed. 'Anyway, I wasn't really concentrating on the conversation because I was trying to sort out my books and in reply to something Rachel said I mentioned your real name without thinking about it and once I'd said it I couldn't unsay it, so then I had to explain.'

Draco looked a little hurt. 'So she probably really hates me now, then.'

Hermione shook her head. 'Of course she doesn't. I don't think Rachel is capable of hating anyone. She was hurt when she found out you had lied to her, of course she was, but I explained why you did it and I think she understands. She certainly doesn't think any less of you for it.' She touched Draco's arm soothingly. 'I really am sorry, Draco. It was honestly a complete accident . . . but it would never have happened if you hadn't lied in the first place.'

'It doesn't really matter now. As I said, I won't be seeing her again so it's in the past, and my father isn't likely to find out, which was the only reason I did it, as I told you at the time.' Draco pulled his arm away from her, then added brusquely, 'Shall we review our notes for our meeting with Snape, then?'

Hermione opened her bag and pulled out a large notebook, which she opened to the last populated page. She glanced down at the words she had written although she really had no need to. She knew exactly where they were in their project and she didn't need notes to remind her. Draco lay down on the grass, stretching out in the weak sunlight before turning onto his side, his head resting on his hand as he watched her intently.

'Potions one, two and three are completed and are awaiting potion four before we combine them. I've made a list of the problems of making all the potions and potential problems with potion four, not least of which is getting ingredients,' she said matter-of-factly.

Draco grinned. 'Actually, I've managed to get hold of most of the rarer ingredients for the next potion and I've got the rest on order to be delivered by the end of the week. There are still some plants that we need to get ourselves, but fortunately they can be picked in the daytime — so no more late-night jaunts into that bloody forest.'

'Are we going to mention to Professor Snape how we nearly died trying to get the ingredients for potion three?' Hermione asked.

'He probably wouldn't care,' Draco retorted. 'Knowing him, he'd say it was our own fault for not being better prepared.'

'Well, I still think we should mention it. I've put it in my notes because it's something people need to be aware of. Even if that troll's gone now there are always dangers lurking in the forest and one day someone's going to get hurt . . . or worse. Now, what about timing for the fourth potion? It takes two full days of brewing once all the ingredients have been added, but it takes almost a full week to add them. I'm just conscious that we've still got a long way to go and if the ingredients aren't going to be arriving for a while yet . . . .'

'We can start on it tonight after we've finished with Snape,' Draco told her. 'If we go to the forest now to get the other plants we need we'll have all the base ingredients and most of the intermediate ones. By the time we need the others they should have arrived. If not, we can ask Snape if we can borrow from his store cupboard and pay him back when ours arrive.'

Hermione nodded but then, thinking about Snape's threat to Harry back in their fourth year when he thought he was stealing from his potions supplies, she said, 'You'll have to ask him, though. He won't give them to me.' She closed the notebook and put it and her quill and ink back into her bag.

Draco chuckled and sat up. 'That's not a problem. He's been far better disposed towards me since he realised we really are working together.' He stood and held his hand out to Hermione to help her up, too. 'Shall we go and pick the other plants now? I know neither of us is probably keen to go back into the forest but at least it's a lovely sunny afternoon — and the sooner we get it out of the way the better, I say.'

Hermione felt a little knot of dread in her stomach at the thought of going into the forest again, even in the daytime, but Draco was right. It was better in the sunshine and at least they wouldn't have to go so far in this time. Feeling a little self-conscious, she took his hand and stood up, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

'I suppose we ought, but you're right, I don't really want to go in there again.'

'I expect it's quite pretty in there in the sunshine,' Draco said soothingly. 'You never know, we might even see unicorns. It's not just nasty things that live in the forest, is it?'

'So do I owe you any money for the ingredients? Some of those things must have been quite expensive,' Hermione said as they walked across the meadow towards the forest.

Draco sounded smug as if he'd pulled off a coup. 'No. They didn't cost me anything because I got my father to buy them for me. I told him they were vital for the project so he didn't even query it.'

'That was very good of you,' Hermione said. 'You didn't have to, I would have been happy to contribute.'

Draco looked at her intently. 'I'm sure you would,' he said with a smile. 'But I've covered it, so don't worry.'

He took her hand again as they entered the forest and Hermione realised she was rather glad. She hadn't understood until he did how nervous she was, and the warm touch of Draco's hand gave her comfort and strength.

'See? I told you it's enchanting in here,' Draco said quietly as they walked through the trees, the sunlight slanting down through the branches giving the area a warm golden glow. He pointed towards a clearing to the left of them containing dog-rose bushes twined with sweet-smelling honeysuckle clustered around a small pond filled with water lilies, which had winged creatures flying all around it. 'I think they're fairies, aren't they? Shall we go and see?'

He led Hermione over to the quiet glade and they watched the fairies flittering around the bushes, their sparkling iridescent wings catching the sunlight.

'They're beautiful,' Hermione whispered, smiling as she listened to the croaking of frogs that were sunbathing on the lily pads. She was no longer scared; the remembrance of the troll and the scary things in the dark were replaced by the shining goodness of the day.

'You're beautiful,' Draco told her quietly.

He had moved closer to Hermione and as he spoke he reached out his free hand to gently stroke her cheek. Still holding her hand, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her body as he bent to kiss her, his warm lips capturing hers in a soft kiss seemed to go on forever.

Shaken, Hermione pulled away from him. Her voice was quavering as she said, 'I think we should go and collect the plants.'

Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him. 'The plants can wait for a few minutes, Hermione. They're not going anywhere.'

Then his lips were on hers again, his tongue exploring her mouth as his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to his body, not willing to release her under any circumstances. Between kisses he whispered, telling her of his desire, of his feelings for her. Hermione's heart was racing again and she was unable to stop herself from kissing him back, desiring the intimacy just as fervently as Draco.

Now they were sinking to the ground, on their knees at first as they continued to kiss, but then they were laying on the soft grass, Draco possessively taking control and pushing Hermione down beneath him, his pale grey eyes gazing deeply into her darker brown ones, his lips meeting hers once more.

. . .

The sun wasn't as high now; long shadows sent dark tendrils creeping inch by slow inch across the glade and the fairies were beginning to leave, drifting away in groups. The frogs were still singing, now joined by the sound of crickets. Draco looked at his watch. It was almost time for dinner.

It was amazing how quickly time had gone once he started kissing Hermione. He would have been happy to continue but he was aware it was getting late and he didn't want Hermione getting scared again as the shadows plunged the forest into darkness and the temperature dropped steeply. They needed to get the plants they had come for and leave. He felt a small pang of regret inside him, aware that the intimacy between them was over . . . for today, at least.

'Let's get those plants before it gets dark,' Draco said, holding Hermione's hand again.

He led her from the glade back onto the path heading for the area of the wood where the plants they needed grew. Neither of them spoke as they gathered the plants or on the journey out of the forest, each of them buried in their own thoughts — Hermione attempting to process what had happened between them, Draco trying to fight down the urge to grab her once more.

Once they reached the meadow, Draco pulled Hermione to a stop and grabbed hold of both her hands.

'This has to be a secret between us,' he told her, although his heart was reluctant to do so, knowing what Hermione's reaction was likely to be.

Hermione looked at him appraisingly for a moment. 'Why's that?'

'You know why,' Draco replied. He felt uncomfortable now. Surely she wasn't going to make him say it out loud, was she?

'Because I'm Muggle-born.'

The words hung in the air like an accusation and Draco winced as if he had been slapped.

'You know how things are,' he said, knowing as he spoke that he sounded a little pathetic. 'My father—' He broke off, feeling suddenly ashamed.

'—would kill you,' Hermione finished for him. 'And me, too, I expect.'

Draco squeezed her hands tightly. 'I really like you, Hermione. You must know that by now, surely.'

'What, the way you liked Rachel?' Hermione retorted, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

Draco shook his head. 'No. You know there was nothing between Rachel and me, not really. A few kisses, but nothing more and there was never going to be.'

'No different from us, then,' Hermione told him tartly. 'And there won't be anything more between us either, Draco. Not if it has to remain a secret. I can't live like that. I'm sorry.'

'Hermione . . . please. I'm trying to be sensible about this. You know we can't go public.' Draco's voice had a pleading quality to it that Hermione had never heard before.

'Then _we_ can't be because I need all or nothing,' Hermione answered quietly, realising she was shaking. She dropped Draco's hands. 'I'll see you at Professor Snape's office at seven thirty, then I suppose we should start work on the potion.'

Draco was tempted to try to stop her from leaving but he knew it would do no good. There was nothing more to say. He watched as Hermione hurried back up the hill towards the castle, then followed slowly behind, his hands in his pockets as he meandered back to the school, sighing loudly every so often.

Hermione was absolutely right to feel the way she did, he couldn't argue that, but for him there was no other choice, however much he might desire it. And it wasn't as if he hadn't thought about it. He had, several times since their first kiss; had imagined the two of them walking through the school holding hands as they talked quietly to each other, their attraction obvious to everyone else. But it just couldn't happen.

Draco dreaded to think how his father would treat him if he discovered his son was a blood-traitor, but actually he was more worried about what he would do to Hermione. As a friend to Potter and the brightest student in the school, she was already well-known to his father and Draco knew he detested her, especially after her part in his incarceration after the raid at the Ministry of Magic back in their fifth year. From what he had heard at the time his father had attempted to kill her, and Draco had no doubt that if he discovered his son's feelings for Hermione he would finish the job he had started then without any care about how it would affect Draco — assuming he didn't kill him, too.

But Draco knew his father wasn't his only consideration. As a member of Slytherin House, his family's beliefs had given him cachet and status, of which he had always been only too happy to take full advantage. To be unmasked as a blood-traitor to those on whom he had so blatantly forced his superiority would leave him open to ridicule and derision.

Life as a Slytherin at Hogwarts was difficult enough already without having the entire House turn on him for something they would see as disgusting and unnatural, not to mention pointless. He would go from being their brightest star to someone who made even Neville Longbottom seem like a decent Pure-blood, and he wouldn't even be able to count on his friends to support him or even understand his desire for Hermione.

All his close friends shared his beliefs — that was why they were his friends — and nothing he could tell them would ever convince them that perhaps those beliefs were wrong. To them, he would just be a blood-traitor, someone to be pitied or reviled. With the enemies he had made throughout the rest of the school over the years he was unlikely to find any help or succour from anyone in any of the other Houses; not that he would want it, the shame would be too great. It was a depressing thought, but however deep his desire ran for something more with Hermione, he couldn't give up everything he had for her.

The problem was that he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to continue working with her when all he wanted to do every time he saw her was kiss her . . . and more. 

* * *

Working with Draco had become increasingly difficult for Hermione and she wasn't entirely certain what she was going to do about it. It had been bad enough in the immediate aftermath of their last visit to the Forbidden Forest when they were both prickly about the discussion they'd had, which for her had ruined what until then had been a perfect afternoon. But several weeks had now passed and the atmosphere between them had been building up, the feelings both of them were suppressing were bubbling beneath the surface of every interaction between the couple.

She had hoped the respite of a short school holiday back home with her parents and Rachel without any reference to Draco would ease things, but on her return to Hogwarts, it soon became clear that nothing had changed. It was beginning to affect their work and Hermione was worried that unless something was done to sort the situation the entire project would be ruined.

It didn't help that she had no one to talk to. She hadn't wanted to mention it to Rachel, knowing that if her friend wasn't still feeling touchy about Draco's behaviour she would probably advise Hermione to go for it anyway, citing her supposed love of blonds as a reason the two of them should be a couple and would no doubt point out that things would be better between them if they were together, even if it was in secret, rather than being miserable apart.

Harry and Ron were definitely not people she could confide in either with regard to romance or Draco, and the combination of the two was a definite non-starter. She had briefly considered talking to Ginny but she had no desire to share her problems with the whole Weasley family, which she suspected was what would happen if she told the red-haired girl about Draco. And whilst Neville was a good listener, he would have no advice to offer that could be taken seriously.

Even if she had someone to talk to, Hermione wasn't entirely sure what she would say to them. Her feelings for Draco had always been complex and had become more so since they began working on the project together; the dislike she had always felt for the blond boy had evaporated as she got to know him better. He was handsome and she was sure she didn't think that purely because he had blond hair. Over the years she had heard many girls raving about him so she knew she wasn't alone in her belief.

He had also turned out to be thoughtful and sensible and his intelligence was on a par with hers, which certainly made a nice change and made him an interesting and knowledgeable partner to work with. She had spent quite some time considering whether a relationship of the type Draco had suggested would work for them, after all, she understood entirely why he didn't want his father to find out about his feelings for her — that was dangerous for them both. But the truth was that she didn't want to creep around keeping secrets from her friends, even though it would undoubtedly be easier than trying to explain to them why her feelings had changed for their up-until-then mortal enemy.

But easy or not, Hermione knew her main objection to a secret relationship was one of pride. As with every girl her age, the idea of being in a romantic relationship was an exciting, even breathtakingly dizzying one for her and she wanted people to know that she was more than just the bookish swot everyone thought she was. A boyfriend would give her a new facet to her character that would stop all the whispering she knew happened behind her back as the girls of the school discussed why she had never had a relationship after Viktor Krum had gone back to Durmstrang.

She was well aware that this was an incredibly shallow reason to want Draco to turn against everything his family and friends believed in, but she couldn't stop the feeling, which was why every time she considered whether there could be a future for her and Draco as a couple in secret, she rejected it.

But spending so much time in his company wasn't helping to dull the desire she felt for him. It was making it worse. She was also becoming distracted and skittish, which was affecting her concentration and, by extension, the quality of her work, so there had been several failed potions now and the likelihood of more was growing all the time. She was permanently on edge, worried that Draco would try to kiss her again or that, as had happened on the first Forbidden Forest night, she would lose control and kiss him.

If there was to be no relationship between them, then there was to be no kissing, either, however pleasant it was. In order to regain her equilibrium, she needed reassurance that both of their minds would be only on the project and nothing else. But she didn't feel she could talk to Draco about it, either, as that would mean a difficult conversation that she really didn't want to have, especially if he was then going to try to convince her into a relationship again.

They were due for another meeting with Professor Snape, and Hermione had briefly considered whether she could perhaps discuss her issues with Draco in a one-to-one meeting with the Potions Master. But he wasn't the most pleasant teacher and she suspected he wouldn't be sensitive to her problem, especially after the way he had reacted to their complaint about their late-night jaunt into the Forbidden Forest — Draco had been accurate in his guess at how the snarky teacher would react.

She could already imagine his sarcastic voice berating her for letting such a stupid thing affect her work and she was fairly certain that with his close ties to Draco's father and being Head of Slytherin House he would be just as judgemental as the blond man who had already given her so much grief over the years, and might even alert Mr Malfoy to the situation, which would be disastrous for both her and Draco. No, Professor Snape would not be any help and there was no one else.

Unfortunately, there was still too much of the project left to complete to go it alone, and as Professor Snape had hinted at the beginning of the year, as it progressed, working together had become more and more important. So she and Draco were stuck with each other. The only thing she could do was focus on the work and give Draco no chance to kiss her again.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione gasped, her heart pounding. Draco had just grabbed her and pushed her up against the rough stone wall as his lips found hers. Completely unprepared for the assault, she found herself automatically kissing him back before sense finally took control of her brain and she pushed him away.

She had no idea what he was doing there but assumed he must have followed her, one of the few people in Professor Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class to have gone to Hogsmeade that day as most of the class were far too involved with their difficult projects to worry about a day off and a visit to the local village they had been to loads of times before.

In truth, Hermione would have been happy to give it a miss, too, but with the exams so close now she had gone through three quills, two bottles of ink and almost the whole of her notebook in the last month and she didn't have enough spare supplies to last until the next visit, so she'd had no choice but to give up some of her precious time to go.

After a quick stop at Scrivenshaft's to pick up her stationery she had guiltily spent a little time wandering around Tomes and Scrolls in the hope of finding a new book to read as a break from all her revision, although she was unsuccessful.

She had then headed into Honeydukes armed with a long list of requests from her various Gryffindor friends who weren't in a position to leave the school themselves, and after purchasing quantities of pumpkin fizz, Chocoballs, treacle fudge and even some Chocolate Frogs, she began to make her way back to the school. It was as she was walking down the quiet lane by the Hog's Head pub that Draco accosted her.

'Stop it, Draco,' she said angrily, her stomach doing somersaults of excitement. She had enjoyed the kiss far more than she wanted to admit. She glanced about her hurriedly to make sure there was no one around to see them.

'You don't really want me to stop,' Draco told her, his voice a lush drawl. His hand stroked her cheek as he gazed at her avidly. 'You want me as much as I want you, Hermione. Don't deny it.'

Not answering Draco's comment, she said, 'I told you I'm not interested in having a relationship with you if we have to keep it a secret. And that means no more kissing.'

'But I like kissing you,' Draco said honestly. He leant forward to kiss her again but Hermione turned her head away from him and pushed him backwards.

'I told you no. Now let me go.' She glared at him and writhed, trying to get out of his grasp.

Draco gave her one of his smug grins but he didn't release her.

'A few kisses is nothing to worry about. It's not like I'm trying to get you to do anything else . . . although I have to admit I'd be happy if you would.' He gave a small laugh at Hermione's outraged expression at his comment, then added, 'Just relax, Hermione. Things have been a bit tense between us since that rather wonderful afternoon in the forest. I just want to get rid of that tension.'

'Well, doing this isn't going to help,' Hermione bit back. 'It just makes things worse.'

'If that's the case then perhaps it's time for you to admit that we should be together, even in secret,' Draco said, his voice more serious now.

Hermione shook her head. 'I told you, I can't do that. Accept it — you and I will never be a couple, Draco.'

Draco's smile didn't fade as he replied, 'Oh, I don't know. I think things are going to change soon.'

'What does that mean?' Hermione asked. A sudden chilly tendril of anxiety ran up her spine at Draco's words.

'The Dark Lord is going to help us with our relationship,' Draco said mysteriously.

Hermione looked at him in surprise, the cold feeling growing inside her.

'The Dark Lord? How the hell is Voldemort going to help our relationship? It's because of him and his bloody stupid ideals that we're stuck in this situation in the first place, Draco. I don't think he's going to bend over backwards to help us.'

'He knows how I feel about you,' Draco said quietly. He was stroking Hermione's cheek again. She was so distracted by the turn the conversation was taking that she didn't even notice and did nothing to stop him.

'What do you mean, he knows? How the hell does he know and _why_ would he know? More to the point, why would you _want_ him to know when you're already terrified your father will find out? I think Voldemort is a little worse than your father,' Hermione said, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

'I saw him last night,' Draco admitted.

Before he could say anything else Hermione blurted out, 'Last night? What were you doing with Vol—' She broke off and glanced towards Draco's left arm, where his hand was still caressing her cheek and imagined what was under the long-sleeved shirt. Pulling her head back, she looked at him in shock as she whispered, 'You're a Death Eater.'

Draco nodded slowly. Hermione gave a harsh gasp as if she had been holding her breath, waiting for his reaction.

'Harry was convinced you'd become a Death Eater last year,' she said, her voice sounding disbelieving. 'Ron and I didn't believe him because I didn't think Voldemort would take anyone so young . . . or that you'd be that stupid.'

Draco gave a harsh bark of a laugh. 'The Dark Lord will accept anyone who shares his beliefs regardless of age, Hermione. Anyway, I had no choice after what you and your bloody annoying little friends did to my father at the Ministry of Magic. I had to join Lord Voldemort and become a Death Eater to restore the Malfoy name. My father was disgraced by what happened to him.'

Hermione looked a little contrite. 'I'm sorry that happened, Draco. But to be fair, he was the one who lured us to the Ministry in the first place and then tried to kill us. It wasn't our fault he was caught. If he hadn't done it he would never have ended up in Azkaban.'

Draco looked angry for a moment but tried to quell the feeling. He knew Hermione had a point, but that didn't change anything.

'So why did you tell Voldemort about us?' Hermione demanded.

Draco gave another bitter snort. 'You don't have to _say_ anything where the Dark Lord is concerned. He can read minds without you even knowing he's doing it. Occlumency works to a certain extent but I'm not very good at that yet, and anyway I didn't realise he would be reading _my_ mind.'

'So he saw . . . .'

'That afternoon in the forest,' Draco admitted. 'And the other times, too. And he saw how I feel about you . . . how much I want you.' He gazed into Hermione's eyes. 'I don't just want to kiss you, Hermione. I'm sure you must be aware of that by now.'

Hermione sighed, feeling suddenly uncomfortable at Draco's confession. 'I know, but I've told you before I can't have a relationship with you and I've absolutely no idea how you think Voldemort knowing about your interest in me is going to help.'

'He wants me to bring you to him,' Draco admitted.

Hermione stared at him in horror not sure she understood what he had just said.

Draco explained, 'He wants to use you to lure Potter in because he's sure he'll want to rescue you. He told me that if I brought you to him, he would give you to me.'

'And you believe him?' Hermione asked disbelievingly, her voice rising several octaves in panic. She wasn't sure whether she was more shocked that Voldemort was attempting to use Draco to get to Harry via her or that Draco was really convinced that the vicious wizard would actually do what he said.

'He promised me,' Draco said, sounding confident. 'He told me he wouldn't hurt you, Hermione. He just needs to use you as leverage. Once he's got hold of Potter he'll give you to me and then not even my father can do anything to stop us. It'll be perfect.'

Hermione shook her head, looking worried. 'That's never going to happen, Draco. Do you really think Voldemort wants us to be a couple? Think about it. He _hates_ people like me. There's no way he would want me tainting your perfect Pure-blood line. He's using your desire for me to get you to help him but he has no intention of delivering on his end of the bargain.'

'You don't know that,' Draco retorted, sounding a touch petulant. 'The Dark Lord _promised_ me.'

'He's a megalomaniac,' Hermione pointed out, trying to remain calm even though her heart was pounding and her stomach was roiling with anxiety. 'Of course he would tell you that. But he has no intention of keeping his promise to you. Anyway, you can't just give Harry up to him. That would be a disaster for the whole world.'

'You think that but I'll be glad to see the back of him,' Draco muttered.

Hermione shook her head. 'No, don't say that, Draco. You don't mean it. I know you don't get on with Harry and Ron, but I'm sure you don't wish them dead . . . or me.'

'You're not going to die,' Draco told her, deliberately ignoring her comment about Harry and Ron.

'But that's the point, don't you see?' Hermione said unhappily. 'If you take me to Voldemort and he really does manage to kill Harry, then no one will be safe. The best outcome that could possibly come out of that scenario would be that _you_ would survive. But I would be dead, I can assure you of that.' Draco shook his head but before he could respond she continued, 'No, it's true Draco. If Harry dies, Voldemort will have no one to stop him taking control of the wizarding world. You know how he feels about my kind so the first thing he'll do is get rid of the Muggle-borns . . . all of us. He's not going to make an exception for me, regardless of what he's promised you.

'Think about it seriously for a minute. Getting rid of the Muggle-borns would just be the start. His hatred of Muggles will lead him to fight them, too. I've heard about the new statue in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic that shows exactly what his intentions are where they're concerned. Whilst some people might be able to escape overseas it won't do them much good for long because I'm sure world domination is well within Voldemort's mad plans.'

She broke off for a moment, the idea of what Draco could possibly set in motion with his desire for her making her upset and emotional, the sick feeling moving like waves in her stomach. 'If Voldemort takes control then my beautiful and kind best friend, who you told me you think so much of, would be killed just for being a Muggle. Is that really what you want, Draco: Rachel chased, tortured and murdered in cold blood just for daring to be alive? And where will it end?

'It's easy to imagine what will happen once Voldemort takes control of the UK's armed forces, once he has access to Muggle weapons, to their stockpile of nuclear bombs. It would only be a matter of time before he started world war three and brought about the end of the world. So being dead might actually turn out to be better than being alive.'

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, pulling her close to him to try to comfort her.

'That's not going to happen,' he said, although his voice sounded less certain now. 'The Dark Lord promised me you wouldn't be harmed and I'm one of his Death Eaters, one of the inner circle, Hermione, not just some Pure-blood off the street. I promise you everything's going to be okay and we _will_ be together.'

Hermione sighed and tried to pull out of Draco's arms once more. Staring directly into his eyes, she had another attempt at pleading with him.

'You have to face the fact that you're a blood-traitor now, whether you like it or not. Your friendship with Rachel was enough to ensure that, as is your desire for me, and now Voldemort knows it, too. At the very least he'll want to get rid of me for turning one of his Death Eaters, and at worst he'll kill both of us as a warning to anyone else who crosses him. Please see, Draco, that if you give me to Voldemort you'll be signing my, and probably your own, death warrant.' She gripped his hand hard. 'I know you want to believe what Voldemort has told you, and because you don't like Harry that's probably enough for you to want to be on the side opposing him. But what's going on here runs far deeper than petty hatred and jealousy.'

Hermione was pleased to see Draco hesitate while he thought about what she had just said, but the fact that he didn't immediately agree meant he was still considering taking her to Voldemort, his conviction that this would give him the relationship he wanted still fighting for supremacy over common sense.

She had to do something before he made the wrong choice, and while she was outside Hogwarts she was vulnerable. Somehow she had to get him to take her back to school. Once there, Voldemort would be unable to get to her and she would be safe.

In desperation she reached out to stroke Draco's face, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked at her in surprise.

'Look, if you want a relationship with me then we'll have one but please don't take me to Voldemort.'

'But I promised the Dark Lord I would bring you to him, Hermione,' Draco said unhappily. 'That's my task and if I fail then I'll have disgraced the name of Malfoy, just as my father did.'

'No, you won't, because you won't fail,' Hermione told him. 'Let's go back to school. Once we're inside the grounds of Hogwarts we'll be safe. You can't take me to Voldemort from in there because you can't Apparate, and with the Potions project, I'll be too busy to leave school grounds so there won't be any chance for you to do it. You won't have failed, you just won't have had the chance to take me.'

Draco hesitated for several minutes as he considered her proposal as Hermione waited tensely to see what he was going to do. Eventually, he nodded and moved back from her a little so she could move away from the wall, although not out of his grasp.

'This isn't just a trick to get me to let you go back to school, is it?' he asked suspiciously. 'You meant what you said about you and me getting together?'

'Of course I did,' Hermione assured him. 'But I really want to go back to school now. It's not safe until we do. We'll talk about it once we get there. Please?'

Draco gazed at her for a few seconds then nodded his head again. 'All right. I won't take you to the Dark Lord now, but I just hope you're right about him accepting that I couldn't get you away from Hogwarts.'

'He will as long as we get back to school without anyone from Slytherin seeing me,' Hermione replied sensibly. 'If I'm not seen then no one can say I ever left the school grounds and that's the only way you could have taken me to him. Anyway, we need to get back. The potion needs to come out of stasis this afternoon.'

'I suppose I should let you walk back alone,' Draco said. He didn't sound very happy at the prospect.

'I need to get back to school without being spotted,' Hermione told him. 'Anyone seeing the two of us together is going to remember that.'

Draco still looked as if he didn't want to let her go, and for a moment Hermione began to panic that he would change his mind and take her to Voldemort after all. She stroked his cheek again.

'Meet me in the lab in forty-five minutes,' she said quietly, then leant forward and gave him a brief and tender kiss.

Without saying anything, Draco stared at Hermione for a moment, then stepped further back, allowing her to leave. He watched as she walked hurriedly up the road towards the school and then, after a few minutes, he followed at a much slower pace.

* * *

Ever since agreeing not to give Hermione to the Dark Lord, Draco had waited for the promised relationship with her to begin. But although they spent some time kissing — admittedly a considerable amount of time — it never went any further than that.

He managed to cop a feel of Hermione's breasts through her blouse once or twice during the snogging sessions, but she was completely unforthcoming with anything more intimate. Every time he tried she pulled away from him, no longer even interested in kissing but instead, talking once more about the bloody project and how far behind they were getting.

Draco no longer cared about the project except during Potions lessons. All he wanted was to make love to Hermione, and he was beginning to feel cheated. Although he understood the concerns she had mentioned when they were in Hogsmeade and deep inside he knew she was probably right, sometimes he still couldn't help wishing he had taken her to the Dark Lord as he had promised to do.

Mainly it was because of that terrible gnawing feeling that he had let down the family name by not completing the task he had been set, which occasionally made him feel sick when he thought about what his father or the Dark Lord would say or do if they discovered what he had done. But although he tried not to think about it, he knew there was also a little part of him that was convinced that if he had done it, something a little more interesting than kissing and potion-brewing would have taken place between him and Hermione by now.

_You're driving me bloody mad_, Draco thought as he leant against a workbench, watching bad-temperedly as Hermione, having pulled away from him as she did far too often for his liking, headed over to where their latest potion was set up, picking up her wand as she went.

She peered into the cauldron that was bubbling away on the counter, then checked her watch before waving her wand over the steaming liquid to stir it. Her face was a mask of concentration as she silently intoned the numbers, counting the seconds. She stopped and looked down anxiously at the cauldron, holding her breath as she waited.

For what seemed like an eternity there was silence in the room and then a loud sigh of relief escaped her lips as the liquid within the cauldron changed from the deep forest green it had been to a beautiful, jewel-bright turquoise. She checked her watch again and noted the time, then turned and smiled at Draco.

'It worked. It actually worked this time,' she announced, sounding gleeful, relieved and a touch surprised all at the same time. She walked back towards him, looking at her watch. 'Now all we have to do is wait twenty minutes and then add the dragon scales.'

She put her wand down on the workbench and picked up her quill, dipping it into the inkpot. She pulled the notebook towards her and bent her head, concentrating as she rapidly added more notes to the almost full book. Stopping for a moment, she looked up at the still scowling boy, who hadn't moved from his place.

'Are you going to sort through the scales, then? We need a dozen Romanian Longhorn — medium size and in perfect condition.' She stopped, noticing Draco's scowl. Frowning now herself, she asked, 'What's the matter?'

Draco shrugged and replied bullishly, 'Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?'

Hermione dropped the quill and straightened up, looking at him worriedly. 'Tell me, what's the matter, Draco? There's obviously something wrong otherwise you wouldn't be all moody.'

Draco scowled again and moved to wrap his arms around Hermione, pulling her into a tight hug. 'All you think about is the bloody project,' he complained.

'That's what we're here to do, isn't it? What do you think we should we be doing instead?' Hermione asked. 'We're already really behind on it because of the potion going wrong last time. It's vital that we get it brewed properly and then we can move onto the last stage . . . which we already know is going to be a complete nightmare, time-wise.'

'You promised me we would be together,' Draco reminded her. 'Yet since that day at Hogsmeade all we've done is work on the bloody project. There's never any time for anything else.'

Hermione looked at him in surprise. 'We're always together, Draco. I spend ninety-five percent of my waking life in your company these days. I'm with you from breakfast time until curfew.'

'Doing school stuff,' Draco pointed out. 'We never spend any time together that's not in a classroom of some description. We haven't even been to the forest for weeks.'

'No, because the last time we went there we picked enough stuff to last for a while,' Hermione reminded him gently. 'Neither of us likes going in there so we're hardly going to go for a nice stroll for the sake of it, are we?'

Draco thought back to pleasant afternoons spent kissing in the forest. 'I thought it was all right during the day, and we've both enjoyed it immensely the last few times we've been in there.' He sighed. 'I was just expecting there to be a bit more to our relationship by now than there has been.'

'We have to work on the project,' Hermione told him soothingly. She wrapped her arms around him in return. 'Unfortunately, that takes up most of our time at the moment. But we're still together. Would we be able to spend so much time in each other's company if we didn't have the project to work on?'

Draco shrugged. 'It would be more interesting, though. I'm fed up with just doing boring school stuff with you.'

'Not just school stuff,' Hermione retorted. 'I spend almost all day with you, and at least seventy percent of that time seems to be spent kissing. That's not school stuff.'

'Or very exciting,' Draco grumbled. 'I want more than that, you know I do. I expected that by now we would—'

Hermione stopped him from speaking with a gentle kiss.

'I know what you want, Draco, but I'm not ready, I'm sorry,' she said quietly once the kiss finished.

'But you promised me, Hermione,' Draco repeated a touch bitterly. 'I didn't fulfil my task for the Dark Lord because you promised and I took you at your word. Perhaps I should have taken you to him after all. Things would have been different then.'

Hermione looked confused. 'How would things be different, Draco? They'd be worse for everyone in the world, but I don't see what difference it would have made to us.'

'We'd have had sex by now,' he told her bluntly.

Hermione stared at him unhappily. 'Would we?' she asked quietly. 'Being Voldemort's prisoner wouldn't have made me any more ready to have sex than I am at the moment, so the only way we'd have done that would be if you'd forced me into it. Is that what you want?'

Draco didn't reply but he looked unhappy at her comment.

'If that's what you want, then what's stopping you?' Hermione asked him honestly. 'You don't need Voldemort's approval to rape me.'

'Of course I don't want to rape you,' Draco spat, sounding disgusted. 'I just thought that when you said we'd have a relationship you were agreeing to something a bit more intimate because you knew that was what I wanted. But we've spent weeks doing nothing but kissing, and every time I even try to touch you, you get all funny about it. It just occurred to me that if you spent time with the Dark Lord the experience might make you see things differently and you might be more inclined to have sex with me . . . might even welcome my feelings for you.'

Hermione sighed. 'I'm sorry you thought I was agreeing to something more than we've got at the moment, Draco. I honestly didn't mean to deceive you. I thought I'd made it quite clear all along that I wasn't ready for anything more intimate at the moment, although that doesn't mean I won't be in the future. I really do like you but I'm just not comfortable about taking it further at the moment, especially when we've got so much work left to do on the project and revision for exams still required. I know you're fed up with the work and so am I, to some extent, as it's taking up so much of our time, but we have to do it and I want to pass — and I'm sure you do as well.'

She released him for a moment and glanced at her watch. 'Look, I don't want to annoy you any more than I already have done, but we really need to sort out the dragon scales otherwise this potion will be ruined, too, and I honestly don't think I can cope with having to try to brew it a third time. We've still got enough to do as it is without adding the stress of that to everything else.

Draco released Hermione as she spoke. With a sigh, but without saying a word, he moved away from her and went over to where their ingredients were stored. He picked up a couple of jars and examined their contents before finally selecting one whose lid he opened.

'How many scales, did you say?' he asked coldly, the tone of his voice making it clear he was unhappy with her.

Hermione paused for a second, a cold knot forming in her stomach at Draco's attitude towards her. Trying to keep her voice even so he wouldn't know anything was wrong, she answered, 'Twelve. Romanian Longhorns — medium ones, please.'

She picked up the quill again and dipped it in the ink and returned to completing the notes she had started earlier while she thought about what Draco had just said. If she was honest, she knew her response to him had been a little disingenuous.

Hermione was well aware of what Draco had expected from a relationship between them, and even though she had not felt ready to take that step with the boy who had been her enemy for so long she had agreed purely so that he would return her to Hogwarts and not follow through on his promise to deliver her to Voldemort.

She had felt a little guilty about it at the time but hoped that the increased amount of kissing would be enough to sustain him, at least until the project was completed. Kissing she could cope with. But it was clear now that he wasn't willing to accept that, and if his bad attitude continued it would be a disaster for the project.

'Once the dragon scales have been added we can put the potion into stasis until tomorrow afternoon if you want,' Hermione said placatingly once she finished writing. She looked at Draco, who ignored her as he examined dragon scales. Swallowing nervously, she dropped her quill and walked over to join him. 'I can't promise all the intimacy you want, Draco, but we could go somewhere to be alone together without having to do the project or any other school work,' she suggested, her hand reaching out to stroke his arm.

Draco stopped what he was doing for a moment and stared at Hermione as if he was studying her. She took a deep breath and stared back, determined not to break his gaze; wanting him to see she was being serious and was trying to make amends.

'That would be good,' Draco acknowledged. He looked back at the scales. 'What do you think of these? Are they perfect enough?'

Hermione looked at the scales he had chosen. They were all identical in size and shape and seemed to be intact.

'They're great. You did a really good job of finding matching scales, thank you,' Hermione said with a smile, impressed as she had been many times since they had become partners at Draco's attention to detail, which matched her own. She looked at her watch again as Draco checked his. 'Five minutes until they need to be added. Perhaps we should pack up while we wait, as we're not going to keep working tonight.'

She moved away from Draco and began sorting the jars of ingredients into alphabetical order, placing them in a cupboard as he continued to work with the dragon scales.

'Do you want to add the scales now?' Hermione asked when it was time.

Draco shrugged and said a little stiffly, 'Are you going to throw a hissy fit if I do and the potion goes wrong?'

'It's not going to go wrong,' Hermione assured him confidently. She picked up a piece of parchment next to the notebook and flicked her eyes over it until she reached the correct part of the instructions. 'You need to turn the heat up to full and wait for it to boil, add all the scales in one go, then stir the potion three times clockwise and seven counter-clockwise. Allow it to boil for two minutes by which time it should have turned a deep forest green again. Then the heat can go off and it can go into stasis.'

Draco followed her instructions, watching the cauldron carefully as he added the scales. He was praying to every god he could think of that nothing would go wrong with the potion. Hermione was right when she said they were running out of time to complete the project and they definitely didn't need the delay of having to brew this tricky potion again, although they were becoming adept at it now.

More importantly, he didn't want anything to stop Hermione and him decamping elsewhere for a little fun. He knew it was highly unlikely that anything too interesting would happen, although maybe after their talk it was just vaguely possible that Hermione felt guilty enough to put out a little, but anything was better than nothing and he didn't want a ruined potion to stop it from happening.

He felt his body relax with relief as the potion darkened to the exact colour Hermione had described. He waved his wand to turn off the heat and cast the stasis charm, then turned to face Hermione with a smile.

'It's done and it looks perfect.'

Hermione smiled back at him. She was putting her writing equipment into her bag. 'Brilliant! I'll come down here tomorrow after Ancient Runes, as I've got a free period, and remove the stasis charm. It needs to brew for eight hours so it will be ready to work on after dinner.'

She picked up the bag and looked around the room. It was now empty apart from the cauldron and Draco's bag, still resting on one of the workbenches.

Knowing she couldn't put it off any longer, she continued lightly, 'Shall we go, then?'

Draco nodded as he picked up his bag and sounded gleeful as he said, 'I'm ready. Let's go and have some fun.'


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione was feeling quite nervous about what Draco would expect of her, even though she was fairly certain he wouldn't push her into doing anything too sexual if she really wasn't happy about doing it. Also, she wasn't quite sure where they were going to go. She had expected to be working all evening and it wasn't as if they could just hang around somewhere in public, not when their relationship had to remain a secret from everyone in the school. For a moment she wished she had got to know Fred and George a bit better while they were at Hogwarts, as they were the undisputed masters of the hidden places in the castle, but it was too late now. She just had to hope that Draco had a bright idea.

'I don't know where we're going to go,' Hermione said to him as she watched Draco use his wand to douse the lights and close and lock the door of the laboratory. 'The only place we've ever been together is the Forbidden Forest, and I have to admit I don't really want to go there at this time of night, if it's all the same to you.'

Draco, who was feeling much happier at Hermione's efforts to placate him, grinned wickedly as he threw his bag over his shoulder. 'Damn, and I thought you wanted to go into the forest. I thought we could go troll hunting . . . or maybe look for werewolves.'

Hermione gave a small shudder and looked faintly disgusted. 'No, thank you. Professor Lupin is the only werewolf I've got any time for, and I definitely don't want to see any more trolls. That's the second time I was almost killed by one.' She gave a small grin and added ruefully, 'I really don't think they like me very much.'

Draco looked at her in surprise. 'The second time? When was the first time?'

'In our first year,' Hermione told him. 'Remember that troll that Professor Quirrell let into the castle on Halloween?'

Draco nodded but looked a little confused. He indicated a route down the corridor and nodding, Hermione began to walk along beside him.

'Actually, that's how Harry, Ron and I became friends,' Hermione said. 'I'd had a really crappy day in classes. Ron had been really mean to me, saying horrid things, and Harry wasn't much better. They had been going on about what a know-it-all I was and how everyone hated me, and it really upset me. I was so cut up about it that I didn't want to see anyone and couldn't face going to dinner, so I went and hid in the girls' bathroom on the first floor, where I had a good cry.

'The next thing I knew there was a bloody great troll in there with me and there was no way to get out. I was terrified and convinced I was going to die. I screamed, but all that did was annoy it. Then I tried to Stupefy it but that didn't work, either. I thought it was because I did the spell wrong — after all, we had only been learning magic for a few weeks — but I found out afterwards that that spell doesn't work on trolls.

'Harry and Ron came to look for me, realising that as I'd missed dinner I didn't know about the troll being in the castle, and they heard me screaming and came to help. Somehow, between the three of us we managed to knock it out although we got a good telling-off from Professor McGonagall for not going back to our common room as we had been told to do. After that the three of us became friends. That was probably why I was so scared when that troll came after us in the forest . . . a flashback to that day in the bathroom.'

'That might have had something to do with it although it could also have been the fact that you were unable to get away and just about to be eaten,' Draco pointed out.

'That certainly didn't help,' Hermione admitted. She smiled at him and stroked his arm. 'Thank Merlin you were there to save me, Draco . . . my own knight in shining armour.'

Draco was about to respond; intending to remind her playfully that even knights got payment for their deeds of valour when they were suddenly confronted by a group of Slytherins who had just emerged from the dungeon common room ahead of them. Hermione instantly released Draco's arm.

'All right, Draco? Haven't seen you around for a while. I see you're still knocking around with the Mudblood.' The speaker, Theo Nott, sneered at Hermione, who stared back with distaste. The others in the group began to snigger.

Draco looked imperiously at them. 'Hermione and I are still engaged in completing our project, which is extremely time-consuming and is actually far more interesting than mooching about the corridors with you, Theo.'

'But we haven't seen you properly for months,' Pansy Parkinson said in a wheedling tone. 'Your project's taking an awfully long time to complete. Most of us have almost finished ours.'

Draco shrugged. 'That's because old Snape knew you'd never cope with a difficult project, Pansy. How many potions have you had to brew? Hermione and I have completed almost a dozen extremely complex ones so far and we haven't finished yet. Having put the two best potion makers in the school together, he thought he'd really challenge us. If he'd given us the sort of project the rest of you got we'd have been finished weeks before the rest of the class and he would have had to find us something else to do.'

'It's not just spending all that time with her, though — you're calling the Mudblood by her first name now, not even by her surname anymore. Perhaps there's more going on than we know. Have you become a blood-traitor?' Theo asked, his eyes glinting maliciously.

'Don't be such a twat,' Draco retorted dismissively. 'I've just spent the best part of six months working with Hermione on a one-to-one basis, so of course I'm going to call her by her first name, just as she now calls me Draco. That doesn't make me a blood-traitor nor does it mean there's anything else going on. Plus, I'd like to remind you that Snape and Dumbledore are keeping a particularly close eye on us because of our previous encounters . . . and because of my outburst on the first day which did nothing but put their backs up. I haven't come this far to fail the project now and I'm not willing to risk expulsion this close to the N.E.W.T.s, so if that means playing nice then that's what I'm going to do.'

There was scepticism on the faces of some of Draco's friends who were obviously a suspicious bunch although two of Draco's closest cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, just looked as gormless as always.

'So what are you doing now? You're obviously not working on the project,' Blaise Zabini pointed out. 'Are you going to come and spend some time with us for a change?'

Draco seemed to think about it for a moment, then shook his head. 'No. Just because we're not brewing potions doesn't mean we're not working. We're actually off to the Library to do some research on the next stage of the project.'

'Since when do _you_ do research?' Pansy asked, sounding surprised. She stared at Hermione. 'I've no idea how you managed to get him to do that. He's never done any research in his life. He always used to bully the younger kids into doing it for him . . . or paid someone else to do it.'

'He doesn't have any choice with this. As you'll know from your own projects, we've had to work together and there's so much work involved in ours neither of us has had the chance to shirk,' Hermione replied. 'If we don't both work on it it'll never get done as we're running out of time, and as Draco said, we haven't come this far not to complete and pass the project.' She looked at Draco and said quietly, 'That said, you haven't seen your friends for ages, so if you want to go and spend some time with them I'm sure I can manage alone for tonight.'

Draco shook his head. 'We've both had to sacrifice having fun with our friends, Hermione. You haven't spent any time with those two idiots you normally hang around with, either.'

'I know, but it's a little different for me,' Hermione explained. 'Harry and Ron normally spend a lot of their time at Quidditch practice so I quite often end up working alone in the Library and they're both still working on their projects, too, so they won't be around anyway.'

'Come on, Draco, it'll be good to catch up,' Blaise said.

'It'll be more fun if you're there,' Pansy added hopefully. She moved closer to him, a saccharine smile on her face.

Draco wondered for a moment whether Hermione was suggesting an evening with his friends purely so she didn't have to deliver following their earlier conversation. He wasn't sure, but he knew who he would rather spend the evening with and it wasn't his Slytherin housemates, even if he and Hermione did only end up kissing again.

He shook his head. 'As you so eloquently reminded me earlier, we're running behind. I've no idea what this lot intend to do but I'm guessing it's nothing of great importance and at some point in the future when we're really up against it I'll just end up wishing I hadn't wasted my evening doing nothing.'

'You'd rather spend the evening with _her_?' Crabbe asked, sounding confused.

'I'd rather spend the evening working on the project,' Draco clarified.

'With her,' Goyle said.

'Why, do you want to come and help?' Draco asked a sarcastic bent to his voice now. 'To be honest, we could do with it. We've got a really tricky task coming up next.' He looked around at his friends. 'The offer's open to all of you.'

'You want us to work during our free time?' Goyle asked. Draco nodded but didn't say anything. 'But we were going to go and hang out at the Quidditch pitch and take the piss out of the Hufflepuffs. They've got a new Keeper and he's even worse than Weasley.'

Draco shrugged. 'Yeah, that sounds like fun. I think I'll go with the research, thanks.' He turned to Blaise. 'You're welcome to come and help, Blaise. You've got a fine brain when you're in the mood.'

Blaise shook his head. 'I've already got other things planned for this evening and they definitely don't include spending it in the Library with a load of dusty old books.' He grinned and confided, 'I understand the Wentworth twins are going to be at the Quidditch practice so I thought I'd go and entertain them. They might be Hufflepuffs but those honey's are cute.'

Draco grinned back at his friend. 'Well, don't do anything I wouldn't do.'

Blaise gave a filthy laugh. 'Oh, don't worry, buddy, I've got it covered.'

'So you're not coming with us?' Pansy asked unhappily. She looked extremely disappointed.

'Nope. I'm going to the Library,' Draco said more firmly.

Pansy thought about it for a couple of seconds then moved closer to him and took hold of his arm, stroking it gently.

'I don't mind coming to help you, Draco.' He looked at her in surprise. Before he could respond she added, 'I can help you and it'll be nice just to be with you for a change. It's been so long since we've been able to spend any time together because of this stupid project and I really miss you.'

'Okay. Well, we've got a lot of research to do. If you really want to help, I'm sure Hermione can tell you what needs doing and where you need to start looking,' Draco said, sounding enthusiastic.

'You want me to work with _her_?' Pansy replied, sounding horrified. She looked Hermione up and down with an expression of disdain on her face. 'I thought I could work with you, Draco. I don't want to work with the Mudblood.'

'It doesn't matter who you work with, we won't be mucking around,' Draco told Pansy as he pulled his arm away from her. She looked disappointed once more. 'If you can't work with Hermione then there's no point in you helping out, as she's our note keeper and is the one who knows what we're aiming to achieve.'

He looked around at the rest of the group. 'I'll see you later. Have fun at the Quidditch pitch.' He turned to Hermione. 'Ready?' he asked.

Hermione nodded. 'Of course,' she said mildly.

The two of them walked away from the other Slytherins and headed for the stairs to the Entrance Hall. The group watched them go.

'He's no fun anymore,' Pansy complained. Crabbe and Goyle agreed with her. 'And I can't believe he'd rather be with her than us.'

'It's obvious he's stressed by the project,' Blaise said, standing up for his friend. 'I reckon the one they've been given must be awful. Twelve potions already! Susan and I have only made eight for ours and that's been pretty tough going. No wonder they're working non-stop.'

'I don't see why he bothers,' Theo said darkly. 'It's not going to be long until the Dark Lord takes over and the Mudblood will be gone anyway. I don't think Draco will need to worry about his N.E.W.T.s then — none of us will.'

They wandered slowly up the corridor towards the stairs, quietly discussing how they expected things to change at the school once Voldemort took over. 

* * *

'Now what are we going to do?' Hermione asked once they reached the Entrance Hall. 'I suppose we'd better go to the Library in case any of your friends come to find us.'

Draco chuckled and shook his head. 'None of them will come looking for us, Hermione. The only one who might have done was Pansy and she won't now she thinks I'll make her work with you. We're perfectly safe to go off elsewhere.'

He took hold of her arm and led her down a corridor that went nowhere near the Library.

'So where are we going, then?' Hermione asked.

'How about the Room of Requirement?' Draco suggested. 'That's nice and secret and will be more comfortable than a draughty old classroom.' He grinned wickedly and winked at her.

Hermione felt her stomach drop at Draco's suggestion and for a moment pictured the Room of Requirement decorated in the way she suspected Draco was thinking of. But she had agreed to spend time alone with him doing something other than schoolwork, and there was nowhere else that wasn't a cold and dusty deserted classroom, so his suggestion did make sense.

Trying to sound happier than she felt, Hermione replied brightly, 'All right, let's go and see what the Room of Requirement thinks we need.'

As they continued walking up flights of stairs and down ever more deserted corridors Draco took hold of Hermione's hand, smiling contentedly as he did so. Immediately she panicked in case anyone saw them, but there was no one in the vicinity and it would be easy enough to let go if someone came along. She suddenly understood that in his own small way Draco was trying to make their relationship more public. Even as recently as a month ago he would never have dared to hold her hand inside the school, even in an area as little-used as this, worried that somehow it would get back to his Slytherin friends.

As tiny as the gesture was, it spoke volumes to Hermione. She squeezed his hand for a second and smiled back at him, the nerves that were causing her stomach to churn easing a little. She was still worried about what Draco expected from her once they entered the Room of Requirement, but the hand-holding went a long way towards helping her think he would be reasonable about her reservations regarding a more intimate relationship with him.

They had now reached the corridor where the Room of Requirement was located and stopped in front of the bare wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach ballet to trolls.

'Shall we give it a go, then?' Draco asked.

'It will be interesting to see what it comes up with if we're both thinking about where we'd like to be,' Hermione said.

'Maybe it doesn't work by what we think but what's in our hearts,' Draco suggested, looking at Hermione intently. 'That could give a completely different room.'

'I'd just like to get out of the corridor,' Hermione admitted. She was still worried about someone coming along and seeing them although admittedly it was unlikely as it wasn't a particularly regularly used area of the school.

Draco released her hand. 'Perhaps just one of us should think about it, otherwise it might get confused.'

'Well, in that case, it had better be me, just to be on the safe side. I know what would be in there otherwise,' Hermione retorted.

'Are you a mind reader then, Hermione?' Draco asked, sounding amused.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. 'I don't need to be a mind reader to know what you're hoping for this evening, Draco. You've already made that more than clear enough.'

'You might be surprised,' he said mildly, and Hermione realised he was already walking backwards and forwards.

As he completed the third turn, a door appeared on the wall in front of them and Draco moved forward to open it, then gave a small bow before ushering Hermione through in front of him.

'After you, my lady,' he said gallantly.

'Why, thank you, kind sir,' Hermione replied, not wanting to end the playfulness between them.

Hesitant about what she was going to find, Hermione stepped through the door and looked around her in astonishment. The room was not decorated as a bedroom as she had expected. In fact, surprisingly, there was no bed at all. Instead, although clearly still made of stone, the room appeared to be the inside of a beautifully decorated silk tent, the red and white striped walls fluttering from a light breeze. There were large rugs on the floor covering most of what appeared to be grass, and scattered around were various bits of furniture, including a large and very comfortable-looking sofa.

'Do you like it?' Draco asked quietly. He had entered the room behind Hermione, closing the door behind him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him as he spoke quietly in her ear.

Hermione nodded. 'It's nothing like I was expecting,' she admitted. 'It reminds me of—'

'One of the tents at a jousting tournament with the Knights of the Round Table,' Draco said, cutting her off. 'You gave me the idea when you told me I was your knight in shining armour, but it's turned out even better than I hoped.'

Draco squeezed Hermione tightly and kissed her cheek, then released her. Taking her hand, he led her towards the sofa, pleased to see the smile on her face. He had got it right and was hopeful that this would aid him in getting at least a little more intimate with her.

He had, as Hermione had hinted he would, initially considered getting the room to recreate his bedroom from either Malfoy Manor or here within the school; the opportunity to put in place a now long-held fantasy of getting Hermione into his bed was almost too perfect to ignore. But she had already told him she had no intention of having sex, and to blatantly push her into it would have scared her away even more and might even have seen her trying to end the relationship completely.

Instead, he had followed through with her theme on knights, thinking hard about creating something that would woo her yet not scare her off, hopeful that he would surprise her and that his consideration of her feelings would persuade her to bestow at least some small favour on him.

The room had repaid his consideration magnificently. It was astonishing how much it looked like a tent even though it was still a stone room inside the castle. Still holding her hand, he pulled her down onto the sofa, which was every bit as comfortable as it looked.

'You thought there was going to be a bed, didn't you?' he asked amusedly.

Hermione nodded. 'I have to admit it did cross my mind, especially after what you said earlier.'

Draco took both her hands in his, stroking them as he talked. 'I do want to take you to bed, Hermione. I've wanted to for quite some time now, you already know that. But I have no intention of forcing you to do something you don't want to do or don't feel ready for. That's not what our relationship is about. I need you to trust me, to know that whatever I do is because I care about you not just because I'm trying to get my leg over.'

Hermione leant forward to kiss him and soon they were laying on the sofa wrapped in each other's arms.

'I'll be honest, I did think about making it my bedroom,' Draco said some time later. 'I've had many rather lurid fantasies containing you and my bed. But I think this is better, especially as we're just starting out.'

'Mmmm,' Hermione agreed happily, feeling no need to speak as she snuggled closer to Draco.

She could feel his hands moving over her body, touching areas she would never normally let him anywhere near even though she was fully clothed, but she felt oddly grateful for his consideration when equipping the room, and if she was honest she was quite enjoying the feeling.

Hermione still had no intention of having sex with Draco. That was a long way from happening if it ever did, but a little petting wasn't too scandalous and would hopefully serve to keep him happy enough to work on the project without more disruption.

'I did think about visualising the fairy glade,' Draco said when they came up for air again. 'But then I thought that was a bit pointless when the real thing is just down the hill, even if it isn't available at night.'

His hand slid under Hermione's blouse now, his warm fingers caressing and stroking her equally warm body. He was taking it slowly, enjoying the feel of her soft skin as he stroked her stomach and inched ever closer to her breasts. His other hand was on her thigh, stroking that, too, as he slowly reached out his thumb to feel the skin closer to the area he really wanted to touch. It wasn't much, but it was more than he had ever managed before, and while Hermione was happy to let him continue he wasn't going to stop.

She allowed him to cup her breast and squeeze it through her bra and even, after a little persuasion from Draco, let him pull down the cup to release her now erect nipple. He ran a finger over it and a tingle of excitement shot through him as it stiffened even more.

His other hand had got as far as Hermione's knickers, his fingers at first running over the elastic that held them in place, and for a brief moment cupped her mound, one finger flicking up to stroke the material that covered her. But this, it seemed, was a step too far for Hermione and she tried to pull away. Stoically, Draco went back to stroking her thigh, close to but not touching the knickers as his mouth found hers in another kiss.

All in all, Hermione thought the evening was going rather well although she panicked a little when Draco got rather closer to her knickers than she felt entirely comfortable with. But he kept his promise not to force her into anything she felt uncomfortable about doing and immediately backed off when he realised he had gone too far.

Feeling his erection still pressed against her hip made her aware that she hadn't been anywhere near as active with her own hands. She knew he was probably frustrated at her lack of involvement and wondered whether she could bring herself to do something with him that might ease the problem.

'I know you're not very happy with me for not having sex with you,' Hermione said a little later, during a break in the kissing. Although she felt quite comfortable with things as they currently were, she knew they needed to talk about it so it wouldn't eventually come between them as it had threatened to do earlier.

Draco hugged her more tightly. 'I wouldn't say I wasn't very happy, just a little disappointed . . . and somewhat frustrated.'

'To be honest, I've not really thought about sex much,' Hermione admitted. 'I've always thought it would happen at some vague, unspecified time in the future, and I suppose I always thought Ron would be the one.'

'You fancy Weasley?' Draco sounded disheartened.

Hermione shrugged. 'Not really, but he's always driven me a bit mad and you know what they say about opposites attracting.'

'That's why you and I are perfect for each other,' Draco said.

Hermione frowned. 'We're not opposites, Draco. We're actually very similar — I hadn't realised _how_ similar until we started working together.'

'I'm Pure-blood and you're Muggle-born,' Draco pointed out. 'You can't get much further apart than that.'

'Actually, the only difference there is the perceptions of you Pure-bloods,' Hermione pointed out stiffly. 'I'm not sure that counts.'

'All right, let's forget our differences. We're perfect for each other because we're so alike,' Draco said.

Hermione couldn't help but snigger at this. 'So according to you, we're perfect for each other because we're completely different and also because we're exactly the same. So how does that work, then?'

'It means we're just perfect for each other regardless, Hermione. I'm absolutely convinced we're meant to be together and I really think it would be right for us to have sex,' Draco replied. He sounded serious, although he was wearing a grin.

'You would say that,' Hermione retorted. 'But I told you I've never really thought about sex until now. I'm not saying it will never happen, but it might take a while for me to get my head around it, especially with you.'

'What do you mean, especially with me?' Draco asked, sounding a little terse.

'After the way things have been between us for the previous six years,' Hermione explained gently. 'Haven't you found it strange that after hating each other for so long it's suddenly gone the other way? I have to admit I'm finding it a little difficult to deal with, finding out that you're nothing like I thought you were . . . and that I like being with you.'

'It just seemed to be a natural progression,' Draco admitted. 'Once I started working properly with you I worked out that all that stuff about Muggle-borns was rubbish, and the better I got to know you the more I realised I fancied you. As time went on my desire for you increased, and it was just natural to want to take things further. It didn't really occur to me that you might not have had sex before and wouldn't be interested, especially as you obviously liked the kissing as much as I did . . . and you were the one who kissed me first.'

Hermione blushed. 'You know that was an instinctive reaction to say thank you for saving me from the troll.'

Draco smiled. 'Perhaps it was, but it was good. I liked it and I wanted more.'

'Well, I thought you and Pansy were a couple so I didn't even really consider having a relationship with you,' Hermione admitted.

Draco grunted. 'We have a bit of an on-off thing. We have sex sometimes but we're not really a couple.'

'Are you sure Pansy knows that? Certainly everything I've ever heard from her on the subject would indicate she thinks you are,' Hermione said with a frown.

'Well, we're not,' Draco told her adamantly. 'There's only one person I want as my girlfriend and that's you.' Hermione didn't say anything for a moment. 'What's the matter?' he asked, suddenly wondering if he had said something wrong.

'Nothing,' Hermione said. 'I just thought that if you and she were still—'

'I told you there's nothing going on between us, Hermione. I wouldn't be trying to make love to you if she was my girlfriend. Is that what it is, you don't trust me?' Draco asked, his voice rising in annoyance.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. 'I don't really know what I was thinking, to be honest,' she admitted. 'I feel as if I'm being really mean not having sex with you, but I can't help it. As I said, it's going to take me a while, and I thought rather than you being frustrated you could . . . oh, I don't know . . . I don't know what I was thinking.'

Draco looked at her in surprise. 'Are you telling me to have sex with Pansy?'

'I just thought if you're that frustrated you might want to go elsewhere and it wouldn't really be right for me to stop you when I'm not giving you what you need,' Hermione said honestly.

'I'm frustrated because I want to make love to _you_, not Pansy,' Draco told her. 'Anyway, if I went off with her how would you ever trust me enough for our relationship to develop?'

Hermione thought about what Draco had just said. He was right that part of the reason she was having difficulty getting intimate with him was because of a lack of trust. There was a part of her that couldn't forget how he had treated her in the past and was suspicious of his current interest in her, whatever he said about how much he fancied her.

Whilst there was no doubt he did, at the moment, at least, Hermione couldn't help but worry that what they shared now wouldn't continue once the project was over and that anything they did together would be used against her in the future. As arousing as she found Draco, she didn't want to find herself the object of derision for him and his friends, and whilst it was true he could be seen as a blood-traitor, especially in light of his desire for her, she couldn't forget that he was still a Death Eater, too.

Hermione had never given much thought to sex, at least not until recently, and when she had thought about it previously she had sort of assumed a future with Ron as she had fancied him for years. But since the project started she had found herself wondering more and more about what it would be like to share that intimacy with Draco instead.

On the one hand, his desire for her was exciting in a way she had never felt before, making her breathless and a little light-headed and giggly too — which was strange because she had never been a giggly sort of person. And of course, he had saved her life, which added another layer to the already complex feelings she had about the boy.

But on the other hand, there was still the problem of their relationship having to stay a secret, and as was always the case, it made her wonder about what sort of future they could share if they couldn't even hold hands in public. Did she really want to entrench herself even more deeply in a relationship she couldn't tell anyone about?

Okay, it might not be ideal, that was for sure, but she couldn't help but admit that her stomach had done a small flip of joy when Draco confirmed that he wasn't Pansy's boyfriend and had no interest in the dark-haired, pug-faced girl.

'Are you trying to get rid of me?' Draco asked when Hermione didn't immediately answer his question. 'Trying to foist me off on Pansy?'

Hermione looked confused for a moment, then, realising what Draco was saying, she shook her head and leant forward to kiss him.

'I'd prefer you not have anything going with Pansy, but I thought I couldn't complain if you did,' she admitted.

Draco grinned. 'I knew you fancied me really.'

Hermione nodded and said jokingly, 'It's true, I do . . . but only 'cos you're blond. If you had dark hair I probably wouldn't even talk to you.'

'I've always thought that being a blond had benefits and this proves it,' Draco replied smugly. 'So have you told Rachel about you and me?'

'There hasn't been much to tell, has there?' Hermione said honestly. 'She knows we've been working on the project together and that we're getting on better than we did before, but I haven't really talked to her about it outside of that, although knowing Rachel she probably suspects.'

'I thought she might have tried to warn you off me after she found out I lied to her,' Draco said quietly.

'No. I told you before, she understands why you did that, and she thinks it's quite sweet. I'm sure she would be over the moon to discover her matchmaking finally paid off, but I'm still having trouble with us having to keep everything a secret.' Before Draco could say anything Hermione quickly added, 'I do understand why we have to do it, Draco . . . but it's just so difficult . . . especially when I wish we didn't have to.' She blushed at what she was admitting to.

Draco, happier than ever at Hermione's comment, pulled her close for another kiss. Hermione could once again feel his hardness pressed against her, which caused another warm flash of guilt.

Trying to keep her voice as normal as possible, she said, 'I suppose I could. . . .' She broke off, embarrassed, then tried again, her hand brushing gently against the bulge in Draco's trousers as she spoke. 'If you're that frustrated . . . .'

Before she could finish her sentence Draco released her and pulled away, looking shaken. Hermione was confused. He wasn't reacting at all in the way she had expected him to.

'What are you doing?' he asked, sounding almost accusing.

'I thought perhaps I could help out your frustration,' Hermione said. She was blushing furiously now, Draco's odd reaction making her feel strangely ashamed. More quietly she added, 'I'm sorry, I thought that was what you wanted.'

Draco gave a long, loud sigh, then wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head as he squeezed her tightly.

'That'll make it even worse,' he admitted. 'I want you so much, Hermione. But I want us both to have enjoyment from this. I'll admit it would relieve the frustration in the short term, but eventually it would just make it worse because I'd want to touch you even more than I already do. I think I'd rather wait until we're both ready.' He frowned. 'Does that make sense?'

Hermione nodded, but she didn't say anything and she didn't look at him. She was embarrassed about her actions and about Draco's reaction.

Draco stroked her cheek and slid his thumb under her chin to push her head up to look at him.

'You've no idea how happy what you just offered to do has made me,' he told her quietly, trying to ease her embarrassment. 'Now I know for sure that you like me, too, so it can only be a matter of time before things get properly intimate.' He kissed her again, tenderly, then gave her another squeeze. 'I suppose we should be getting back to our common rooms soon, it's almost curfew,' he said, sounding disappointed as he looked at his watch. 'I can't believe how quickly the evening has gone again.' He smiled at Hermione. 'Thank you for taking the evening off from the project . . . and for spending it with me.'

Hermione smiled back, her embarrassment receding somewhat. 'It's been nice,' she admitted. 'And I still love what you did with the room.'

'It might have to be a bed next time, though,' Draco said wickedly as they picked up their bags and made their way to the door.

Hermione stared at him archly. 'Who said I was coming back here with you again?'

'You will eventually, Hermione. You can't resist me really,' Draco told her with a smirk on his face.

'You think so much of yourself, Draco Malfoy,' Hermione retorted, shaking her head as she said it.

Draco shrugged but laughed as he said, 'That's 'cos I'm the best thing you'll ever have.'

Hermione shook her head again as if in disgust and opened the door.

'Admit it, Hermione. You know I'm right.'

'I'm admitting nothing,' Hermione replied, but she couldn't help grinning and Draco took her hand as they walked down the corridor.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione looked over at her two friends who were busy playing wizard's chess, a game she had always found a little too brutal and barbaric for her tastes. Ron was winning, as he almost always did and Hermione couldn't help but smile. Poor Ron never seemed to have the confidence Harry displayed, except when he was playing chess. Then all his insecurities melted away and he was the master of the game.

She wished he could be a little more like that in his day-to-day life but she was aware of the yoke that having all those brothers and a famous friend placed upon him and knew he found it hard to shake off the shackles that bound it. She turned back to the book she had been attempting to read but after a moment she put the bookmark in place and closed it with a small sigh, knowing she wasn't able to concentrate however much she needed to.

The reason she couldn't concentrate was, as always, because of Draco. Tonight was the first night since they had become a proper couple that she had managed to spend any time away from him and whilst in some ways it was something of a relief — even if it was just giving her lips a chance to rest — it was also strange not to be with him.

The reason for the exile was a practical one. Exams were due to start in just over three weeks and Hermione needed to do some serious revision. It wasn't that she hadn't revised previously — she had, and Draco had revised with her, the two of them slotting it in between brewing the latest and second to last of the potions in their project. But revision with Draco always ended up turning into a snogging session and as good as it was and as accomplished as she had become at it, she would never gain an N.E.W.T. for that.

Finally, realising she was actually quite close to having a major meltdown as she hadn't revised anywhere near as much as she would normally do and panic was beginning to set in, she gave Draco an ultimatum — either she got some time alone to revise or she would end their relationship.

She didn't really mean it as, now she had got used to the secret side of it, being Draco's girlfriend was actually rather nice, but just like Harry and Ron, the Slytherin boy appeared to have no concept of just how important revision was so she'd had no choice but to take drastic action. The problem was that in allowing her time alone to revise, Hermione knew Draco expected to get more in return from their relationship than she had so far allowed him.

Ever since their evening in the Room of Requirement, Draco had been pushing to become ever more intimate, and Hermione was running out of ways to say no without upsetting him. She had enjoyed the evening immensely and had to admit that thoughts of sex were rather more on her mind these days than was probably normal for a girl of her age. She had even spent several nights lying alone in her bed fantasising about them doing it, but in reality, she couldn't quite take that final step with Draco.

She knew that partly it was because her brain was reminding her that she didn't have time for such nonsense with the exams only a few short weeks away and two potions still left to brew to complete the project. Both of these things needed concentration, not her drifting off thinking about Draco's kisses or wondering, as she had a few times now, what his penis looked like and how it would feel to touch it. However much she may now want things to get steamy between them, it was going to have to wait until after the exams were over.

But there was another tiny piece of doubt that she couldn't quite shift no matter how many times Draco told her how much he liked her. She worried that once he got her into bed, Draco would dump her and then tell everyone in the school what he had done, crowing about her gullibility and eagerness to fall for his stories when everyone knew she was just a stupid little Mudblood he would never have any time or real affection for. It was this more than anything else that stopped her from taking that final step.

If only there were some way she could get Draco to prove that he really had changed his views, but that was impossible without giving away their secret to everyone. The problem was that however much she loved Draco, and Hermione was beginning to believe that despite everything they had been through in the past she really was in love with him, she couldn't get any more intimate with him than they already were.

Regardless of everything she had tried to warn Draco about he was still a Death Eater, unwilling or unable to give up his allegiance to his Dark Lord. Hermione felt that to have sex with him whilst Draco continued to remain faithful to the evil wizard would be like collaborating with the enemy. His continued support gave validation to Voldemort and his followers' beliefs and would make her pathetic and the worst kind of traitor for aiding in that validation. She would be a blood-traitor, too, even more so than Draco would be considered by his friends and family if their secret relationship became known.

She sighed again and looked at the book. Why was she considering this now when she could be making better use of her time studying? The bottom line was the same as it had always been: Draco was his father's son and a Death Eater and nothing was going to change that, however well they now got on. He was too set in his ways, and his hatred of Harry and Ron made any other way seem unappealing to him.

But she wasn't willing to have sex with a Death Eater, even knowing that he was nothing like she had imagined for so long, so their relationship could go no further. It would eventually deteriorate and Draco would go back to detesting her, more than before probably, and would treat her with the disdain and hatred that had always been the watchwords of their interactions in the past.

Hermione fervently wished it didn't have to be that way but knew it was destined to happen. She would never abandon Harry and Draco would never go against his father, so she and Draco would always be on opposite sides of the divide, and if it came to a fight they would have no choice but to follow their true natures. She could hope that Draco wouldn't fight against her but nothing was certain. That was the depressing thing. She couldn't even guarantee that her boyfriend wouldn't attack and kill her, given the order to do so by Voldemort.

Feeling thoroughly disheartened and knowing she would achieve nothing by staying in the common room, Hermione stood up and went over to Harry and Ron.

'I'm going to bed,' she told them. 'I seem to have reached a mental block with my revision and nothing's going in. Hopefully, a good night's sleep will help and I'll have another go tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning.'

Harry and Ron watched her go.

'Do you think Hermione's okay?' Harry asked worriedly.

Ron shrugged. 'She's probably overdoing it. You know what Hermione's like. She needs to take some time to relax not keep revising all the time. What with that and the bloody Potions project we haven't seen her for months.'

'I wonder if that's causing her problems, too,' Harry mused.

'You know what Malfoy's like. Do you really think he's curbed his persecution just because they're working together? I don't think that's likely, whatever the Greasy Git said about punishing him for calling her a Mudblood,' Ron said.

'I don't think he has, though, has he?' Harry replied. 'Called her a Mudblood, I mean. I've heard them talking about the project a few times and he always calls her Hermione, he doesn't even use her surname anymore. And Snape and Dumbledore are keeping an eye on him because of this integration thing — and knowing what a tosser he can be — so I don't think he'd get away with it.'

'Perhaps he's holding up the project instead,' Ron said, determined to find Draco at fault. 'Everyone else has finished except for them.'

'Same thing, though,' Harry pointed out. 'They see Snape and discuss their project just the same as everyone else did. He would know if Malfoy was deliberately sabotaging their work and do something about it. He may not think much of Hermione or like punishing Slytherins but he couldn't let that go, not when it's so important for their N.E.W.T.s, and I don't believe Malfoy would be that stupid. He wants to pass his exam the same as everyone else does.'

'I suppose you're right,' Ron said dully. 'Perhaps it is just Hermione setting herself too high expectations as usual.'

'She'll be okay after the exams, she always is,' Harry predicted confidently, then he swore loudly as Ron checkmated him. 

* * *

Draco was feeling a little on edge. Things had been going relatively well between him and Hermione since their night in the Room of Requirement, but however much he tried to gently move things on they were still, as far as he could see, no nearer to going to bed.

He had tried hard to put himself in Hermione's shoes and could sort of understand why she was nervous and unsure about taking that extra step with him but it seemed to him that there was something else, something he had been unable to fathom, that was stopping her. The problem was that he didn't know how to broach the subject with her without Hermione getting annoyed with him, but the frustration he had been feeling for so long now was getting worse and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to go on as they were.

Although he had told Hermione he had no interest in Pansy, that wasn't quite true. When he had thought it might only be a few weeks before he and beautiful Hermione would finally make love it was easy to ignore the Slytherin girl, not wanting to give his clearly anxious girlfriend any reason to doubt his desire for her.

But as more time went on and that so-desired intimacy had still not happened, Draco found his mind turning towards Pansy and what she could do for him. The truth was that while he still had no interest in her as a girlfriend she was, at least, willing to let him do those things that Hermione wouldn't, and several times a little voice in his brain tried to convince him that it was what the beautiful Gryffindor wanted him to do. Hadn't Hermione as good as told him to have sex with Pansy, the voice wheedled, and Draco had to work extremely hard to shut it up. Now, it was almost impossible to ignore it, and with the latest enforced separation between them — even if it was only for exam revision purposes — he was beginning to crumble.

For Draco, being away from Hermione wasn't a nice break — it was a nightmare. He had spent the evening with his friends and Pansy, and the dark-haired girl had attached herself to him like a limpet, rubbing herself provocatively over him, using her usual techniques to get him aroused. And it was working ridiculously well. Surely it wouldn't matter if he spent just this one night with Pansy, would it? He didn't even need to tell Hermione what had happened, he could just tell her about yet another evening of revision with his friends. Hermione was so trusting that she would be bound to believe him.

Draco gave a small moan and put his head back, closing his eyes as Pansy's hand grabbed his crotch and squeezed gently as she had done so many times in the past. He could feel his heart beating faster as she continued to touch him, his erection growing as his desire flared. Pansy was such a slut — but she definitely knew how to give him pleasure.

As he relaxed and allowed her to do as she wished with him he remembered the feeling of Hermione's hand doing the same thing although with far less conviction, and his erection stiffened even more. If she offered to touch him now he wouldn't turn it down. He wanted anything he could get from Hermione and if that was all she was prepared to do he would accept and make the most of it.

He sighed a little more loudly and opened his eyes for a moment to see Pansy smiling at him, her vapid, simpering face negating the wonderful feelings her hands were causing. He closed his eyes and pushed Pansy from his mind, Hermione taking her place once again although he knew he should be grateful to Pansy for what she was doing.

She had moved to sit on his knees now, her body shielding what she was doing from the rest of the common room although Draco knew Blaise and Theo were well aware of what was happening. He felt her small, soft hands playing with his trousers and then he was free. A large gasp of pleasure escaped his lips before he could stop it. But before he even had time to enjoy this new escalation an image of Hermione exploded into his mind, her face looking pale, unhappy and betrayed. The sort of disappointment he could quite easily imagine her experiencing overwhelmed him and caused him to push Pansy away roughly; not caring about her look of bewilderment and hurt.

Draco hurriedly redressed himself and stood up, embarrassedly excused himself from his friends and left the common room. He decided to go for a walk to calm himself down before bed, unable to quite believe what he was doing. _Hermione would never have known_, the little voice in his brain chided him angrily as he walked down the dark, cold corridor. But if she had found out she would be devastated and so hurt, he tried to explain to the voice reasonably. What if she wouldn't let him anywhere near her any longer? What if she wouldn't even let him kiss her? Whatever Pansy offered wasn't worth that.

For the next twenty minutes, he walked, not taking any notice of where he was going but wanting only to clear his head and calm down. Finally, once he was certain he could return to the common room without anything embarrassing happening, he made his way back. He stopped only long enough to give a decent apology to Pansy, blaming overwork and exam stress for his mood before heading off to his dormitory and to bed. He was glad to find the room unoccupied so he could do what he needed to do, then changed into his pyjamas and slid under the covers to think about Hermione once more.

This whole relationship was becoming unbearable and something had to change and soon. He was going to have to talk to Hermione, to find out what that extra thing was that was making her hold back, and see what he could do to make the situation one in which she would feel comfortable making love. But as hard as it was to accept, it would probably have to wait until after the exams. Hermione had made it very clear she wasn't willing to do anything but work on the project and revise between now and then and Draco suspected that once Hermione made up her mind about something she was unlikely to change it. 

* * *

'I shall be so glad when these bloody exams are out of the way,' Draco said. He pulled Hermione to him, his arms cradling her gently as his lips sought hers.

They had just finished bottling the penultimate potion and were ready to take stock of where they were before they moved on to the final stage of the project. Things were hectic and they were up against an exceedingly tight deadline, Draco was aware, but surely there was time for a little break for some intimacy, even if only to celebrate everything they had achieved so far.

'I just want to get this project finished now,' Hermione stated honestly when they finished kissing. 'I've got so much revision to do, but all I can think about is that last potion we've still got to brew. It's beginning to drive me insane with the amount of work I've got piling up and I'm just not getting a chance to get it done.'

'But I won't get to see you at all then,' Draco said sounding sullen. 'At least we get to spend some time together because of the project. What about once it's over?'

Hermione looked uneasy. 'These exams are the most important things we'll ever do, Draco. It would be madness not to prepare for them as well as we can. Anyway, it'll give you a chance to build your reputation back up with your friends.'

'I don't care about them,' Draco retorted snappishly. 'I want to spend more time with you, Hermione, not less. 'I mean, by now we should be—'

He broke off as he saw the unhappy look that crossed Hermione's face as she realised what he was going to say and she tried unsuccessfully to move out of his grasp.

Draco gave a loud growl of annoyance. He was fed up with tiptoeing around the subject of their sex life, or more accurately the lack of it. He was sure he wasn't being unreasonable in wanting more after all this time. It had been several months since he was supposed to have taken her to the Dark Lord yet he still hadn't got Hermione anywhere near a bed.

'I almost had sex with Pansy last night,' he admitted gruffly as he pulled Hermione closer, his forehead resting gently against hers as he spoke.

'What stopped you?' Hermione's voice was stilted and cool. She tried to move away from him.

Draco pulled back from her with another sigh, looking at her intently as he held her hands at arm's length, trying to give Hermione a little space but not wanting to give her the chance to escape.

'You, of course,' he said as if it was obvious and he couldn't believe he was having to say it. 'I told you, it's you I want . . . but you're making it so hard, Hermione. I'm not a saint and you can't expect me to wait forever. It's not fair.'

Hermione bowed her head a little to break the gaze, feeling herself flushing at the faint criticism. Her heart was pounding at Draco's words.

Quietly she told him, 'I'm sorry. I know what you want but I can't—'

'But why not?' Draco demanded, his voice ragged with emotion. He was struggling not to lose his temper aware that it wouldn't improve the situation, but it was incredibly difficult, especially as he was feeling so hard done by. 'We've been together for months . . . you promised me we would get more intimate, that it was only a matter of time, and surely you _must_know how I feel about you by now — I can't keep my hands off you. I understand that you have never done anything like that before so you're a little anxious and it's all a bit strange after the way things were between us before, but I'm not going to hurt you, Hermione.' He broke off for a moment, then asked more quietly and sounding disappointed, 'Is it that you still don't trust me?'

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she looked at Draco, unable to speak for a moment, the urge to burst into tears suddenly overwhelming her.

'I know there's something,' Draco said gently, trying to draw her into talking to him. 'Please, Hermione, tell me what it is. I need to know what to do.'

Hermione stared at him miserably. 'You're a Death Eater,' she whispered.

'But you knew that when you first agreed to the relationship. I never kept it a secret from you,' Draco said, anger surging through him once more. He dropped her hands, clenching his fists as he tried desperately to calm himself down before he did something stupid.

'I know, and I thought that eventually, it wouldn't matter . . . but it does. I can't get over that, Draco, I'm sorry. All I can think about is that regardless of what happens between us, in this war that's coming you and I will be on different sides. We're going to end up fighting each other.' Hermione breathed deeply, trying to stop the tears that were so close to falling.

Draco's face flushed angrily as he spat, 'You lied to me, didn't you? You never meant for us to have a relationship . . . never meant for us to share any sort of intimacy. I see that now. You lied and made me think there was something there when all you really wanted was to stop me from taking you to the Dark Lord. You stopped me from doing my duty to him. I was stupid and gullible and I thought you were better than that, Hermione, but I now can see I was wrong.' He grabbed his bag from the table and began to stride towards the door.

Hermione moved to cut him off, shaking her head. She wanted Draco to know he was wrong in what he thought, that she hadn't explained her feelings to him properly. If only he would give her a chance, would let her explain, then perhaps he would understand and stop being angry with her. Instead, he was going to leave and the anger and hatred he felt towards her at the moment would fester and grow and she would lose him forever.

'Please, Draco,' she pleaded, clutching at his arm, trying to stop him from moving. 'Please . . . my love . . . let me explain. You've got it wrong, I promise you have—'

But before she could say anything else Draco shrugged away from her and stormed towards the door. Hermione stood watching him, looking defeated, the tears she had tried so hard to stop now coursing down her cheeks.

'Please, Draco, don't leave . . . not like this,' she begged.

Draco turned to look at her, his stare as cold and imperious as it ever used to be.

'Don't talk to me, you filthy little Mudblood,' he hissed, his cold grey eyes flashing with indignant fury. Hermione gasped and clutched her chest, sounding as if she was in pain at his words. Ignoring her, he continued, 'I don't want to listen to your lies any longer. I'm not as stupid as you think I am.'

Without another word he turned away, opening the door with his wand and walking through it. The door closed with a bang behind him and Hermione stared at it for a few seconds before she crumpled, collapsing onto the workbench in front of her. She stayed that way for a long time, loud, painful sobs of grief erupting until eventually her legs gave way and she slowly slid down to sit on the floor, shaking and devastated, unable to believe Draco's final words to her. 

* * *

Draco opened his eyes and gave a long, mournful sigh. He rolled over and closed his eyes again, wishing he could go back to sleep although he knew he had to get up. He could hear someone in the bathroom so it wouldn't be long before everyone started to wake and would be ragging on him to join them for breakfast. His stomach roiled at the thought of food, and as he thought back to the night before he winced, wishing he could disappear into the bed — or better still, cease to exist completely.

He definitely didn't want to get up as it would mean having to face the carnage he had wrought last night in his fury. He sighed loudly again. He was a complete and utter idiot and in the space of a few short minutes had totally ruined his entire life . . . and then he had compounded it by shagging Pansy. He groaned as he turned over again, not wanting to relive that grievous error either. He really had done a fine job of ruining everything. The only way it could possibly have been worse would be if he had sabotaged the project.

At the thought of the project, his blood ran cold. How many times had Hermione pleaded with him to wait until the project was over before thinking about getting intimate? She had told him again and again that they had to get the project done first and yet he had kept pushing.

They only had one more potion to brew and then the final presentation of their project to Professor Snape and it would all be over, almost a year of hard work successfully concluded and pretty much guaranteed to give them both an Outstanding grade in their Potion N.E.W.T. But now the chance for that exalted score had all but died, thanks to him.

He already knew there was no way either of them would have time to complete the project alone. They had meticulously worked out the amount of time they needed a few days before and had both had to factor in their precious free periods, when Hermione would have preferred to be revising, in order to get it finished in time.

As Professor Snape had told them so long ago, there could only be a successful conclusion if they worked together; but now, thanks to him and his bloody stupid temper, there was no way Hermione would want to be within a hundred miles of him, let alone work with him, and he honestly couldn't blame her for that after what he had said to her in anger.

And what perfect timing it had been. He had been so angry with her that he lashed out automatically, not even taking in what she had said until he woke this morning. He couldn't believe he had missed what she said . . . no wonder she was so hurt by him calling her a Mudblood again after such a long time. It was an evil thing to do, but at the time he hadn't cared. He had felt used and betrayed and so frustrated at her refusal to have sex that he wanted to hurt her, had enjoyed her pain . . . and now he felt like a real heel.

Suddenly uncomfortable in the bed, he sat up and gave another huge sigh.

'What's the matter, Draco, having trouble moving?' Blaise asked with a grin as he walked into the bedroom. He was rubbing his hair with a towel. 'I bet Pansy used and abused you, didn't she? Mind you, you deserved it with the way you've been treating her recently. Did she punish you for the other night?' He grinned again. 'She is very good at kissing it all better, though, so I expect you didn't suffer for too long.'

Draco stared at him as if he couldn't understand what Blaise was saying. His brain was still thinking about Hermione and the project and definitely didn't want to focus on Pansy and the things they had done last night.

'I suppose you wanted to let your hair down after finishing the project, did you?' Blaise asked.

He was getting dressed now, not looking at Draco who had made it to the edge of the bed and was floundering like a drowning man.

'Bet you ruined the Mudblood's day, too,' he said sounding smug.

'What makes you say that?' Draco asked stiffly, suddenly wondering what the hell he had said to his friends. His temper had been so overwhelming that he couldn't really remember much about the end of the evening except for his need to have lots of sex.

'The way you were slagging her off to us, and the towering temper you were in, it was clear the two of you must have had a massive argument.' Blaise looked sympathetically at his friend. 'It was probably a bit of a relief after all those months of having to be pleasant to the bitch . . . to be able to finally tell her what you really thought of her.' He grinned then added, 'Actually, I'll be honest, we were all rather glad you exploded.'

'Why?' Draco looked at Blaise curiously.

'Well, you were getting a bit too close to the Mudblood for a while there, mate. Even I was beginning to wonder if you'd become a blood-traitor.'

Draco felt a trickle of cold run down his spine at Blaise's words.

'Me, a blood-traitor?' he said, sounding dismissive. 'You're joking, right?' He snorted as if the idea was completely unbelievable, then added with a frown, 'What made you think that?'

Blaise shrugged as he looked at himself in the mirror, then turned to face Draco.

'Well, I understood that you were playing it nice with old Snape and Dumbledore on your back after your rebellion the first day, and I know it's hard to work with someone so much and not start calling them by their first name — especially the amount of time you two were spending together — but then you got a bit weird and things seemed a bit more serious between you.'

'Serious how?' Draco asked, trying to sound supremely unconcerned although his heart was banging so hard he wasn't sure how Blaise couldn't hear it.

Blaise shrugged again and sat down on his bed, still looking at Draco.

'Theo told me about the Dark Lord telling you to take the Mudblood to him,' Blaise said quietly.

Draco's heart skipped a beat but he forced himself to stay calm. Of course, Theo had known. He had been at the meeting, as had several others; they would all have heard the Dark Lord give him the task, so there was nothing to worry about there. His conversation with the Dark Lord about getting Hermione afterwards had been a private one, for his ears alone — that hadn't been shared with the assembled Death Eaters, so Theo and the others would have known nothing about it. They may have been thinking he was a blood-traitor but they didn't know for sure. They couldn't. He had kept it far too well hidden.

'He did. But just because I haven't managed to fulfil the task doesn't mean I'm a blood-traitor,' Draco confirmed, sounding indignant. 'I did try but I wasn't able to get her to leave the school. I was hoping she might take a break for a Hogsmeade visit and if she had I would have followed her and taken her then, but she told me we didn't have time to waste and she would rather work through. I was completely stymied. You know we can't Apparate from inside the school grounds.'

Blaise nodded as if he understood but then he said, 'But that's when you started getting a bit weird. Remember that night we bumped into you on the way to the Quidditch pitch? Were you really going to the Library?'

'Of course we were. Where do you think we were going?' Draco asked defensively.

'I don't know,' Blaise admitted, 'but you were acting pretty suspiciously and I began to wonder whether maybe you'd succumbed and started getting a bit more intimate with her. Granger's quite a good-looking girl and she's intelligent enough to have attracted your interest. It was obvious you were getting on pretty well and you hadn't been with Pansy for ages . . . I know because she moaned about it constantly.'

'If you'd seen the amount of work we had to get through you'd have known why I had no time for Pansy,' Draco groaned. 'I didn't even have time to think about that sort of thing. It feels like my entire life has been that bloody project, not just a few months.'

'But you seemed really possessive of Granger, too,' Blaise said.

Draco stared at him in astonishment. 'Possessive? How was I possessive?'

'Do you know how much you look at her?' Blaise asked.

Draco shrugged, trying to keep it casual. 'I've always looked at her. Her and those two idiots she hangs around with. I like to keep an eye on what they're up to.'

'True,' Blaise said. 'But you look at her differently from the way you look at them. It's like you _need_ to see her and you don't like it when she talks to other people. You have this sort of glare stare whenever she's with anyone else, especially if it's a boy.' He laughed. 'I think you were just spending too much time together and it rubbed off on you. I mean, there's no way you'd have been as vitriolic about her as you were last night if there _was_ anything going on between you. Now, are you going to get up or what? I'm starving and need to go to breakfast.'

Draco disappeared into the bathroom while Blaise finished dressing. He still couldn't remember exactly what he had said to his friends, the red mist of fury that had enveloped him had effectively wiped it from his brain, but it was obviously bad. He just hoped he hadn't been that mean to Hermione to her face otherwise she might well hex him the next time he saw her.

But he didn't want to see her. Now that he had calmed down he felt supremely guilty and he didn't want to face her. But he had no choice. She was bound to be at breakfast, and if she wasn't she would definitely be in Arithmancy, which was her first lesson and one of many they shared that day.

What were the chances that she would accept his apology and agree to forget what had happened and work with him to complete the project? He knew she needed to finish it as much as he did, but if she wouldn't forgive him would they be able to work in the sort of conditions that used to exist before they had been placed on the project together? He had no idea but also had no choice but to find out.

He returned to the bedroom to get dressed. What if she wouldn't work with him? What if she told Professor Snape why they had fallen out? Not about the sex — he couldn't believe Hermione would tell anyone about that — but she might tell the Potions Master that Draco had called her a Mudblood again, knowing it would get him into trouble with his Head of House.

He sighed again. He would accept whatever rotten punishment Professor Snape wanted to throw at him if it meant getting to be with Hermione again. But he had to be careful. Blaise was the least rabid of his Pure-blood friends and would probably overlook the things that had happened with Hermione previously because of his outburst last night. People like Theo wouldn't be so easy to win over, and if Blaise had those suspicions it was certain that others would, too. But how was he going to make peace with Hermione without his friends getting suspicious again? That was another question for which he had no answer.

He sighed for the third time.

'What's the matter?' Blaise asked.

Draco thought for a second, then decided to be honest with his best friend. Relatively honest, anyway.

'Hermione and I didn't finish the project,' he said.

Blaise looked at him in astonishment. 'What? But I thought you finished and then told her where to go.'

Draco shook his head, looking maudlin. 'No. Things were getting a bit tense between us. The project is dragging on forever and severely cutting into our revision time for the exams. Hermione's a real revision freak and it was seriously stressing her out. We had just got to the end of the second to last potion when the bickering turned into a massive argument and I ended up calling her a Mudblood and storming out.'

'Oh, bloody hell,' Blaise said, sounding shocked. He thought for a moment then continued, 'That gives you both something of a problem.'

Draco gave a nasty snort of derision. 'That's somewhat of an understatement, Blaise. All those months of being nice all gone in one single word. No doubt old Snape will be down on me like a ton of bricks and all that work will have been wasted because we won't finish the project — and that's a massive mark to lose. I was expecting to get an Outstanding for my N.E.W.T. because of all the great work we've done, but you know that won't count for anything with Snape if we don't finish the project. It'll have all been for nothing.'

'So what are you going to do?' Blaise asked.

Draco shrugged. 'What can I do? To be honest, if I thought it would help I'd apologise to her, I'm that desperate to finish the project, but I'm not sure it will. It took so long for both of us to build up our trust in each other, and it was so tenuous that one brief if heated argument was enough to ruin it. After all those months of acting like friends, it must have seemed like a huge betrayal to Hermione when I called her a Mudblood.'

'So can't you work without being friends? You managed it well enough at first . . . and it's just as important for Granger that you complete the project, isn't it?' Blaise asked sensibly.

Draco shook his head. 'We wasted loads of time at the beginning,' he admitted. 'I held things up or did things wrong just to prove a point to Snape, although it didn't work. It was only once we got to about the third or fourth potion and I began to realise I could have an intelligent conversation with Hermione, and that she really did work hard and was as much of a perfectionist with her ingredients as me, that the chill thawed and we started to work as a team.

'If we go back to working separately we've got no chance. We're literally talking about the difference that a few minutes could make. I wasn't kidding that night when I said we had no time to stop working. That was part of the problem. We were both so busy with the bloody project still that Hermione wasn't getting a chance to revise, and brilliant as she is she's incredibly insecure about her grades.'

They left the dormitory and headed towards the common room.

'Then you'd better make it a bloody good apology,' Blaise told him.

Draco sighed again. 'And that's the problem. What do I say to make her forgive me? I already know calling her a Mudblood was the worst possible thing I could have said. That's why I did it.'

'I've no idea, mate,' Blaise said honestly, feeling some of Draco's pain. He saw Pansy heading in their direction and grinned. 'But there's someone who'll take your mind off the problem for a little while.'

Draco groaned. 'Oh, gods. I don't want to talk to her, not at the moment.'

'I don't think you have any choice, Loverboy,' Blaise said, his grin even more wicked now.

'Morning, Draco,' Pansy simpered as she grabbed him, her lips finding his for a big squashy kiss. Draco tried to squirm out of her grasp but she was holding him too tightly. 'Did you sleep well?' she purred. 'I missed you.'

'Please let go of me, Pansy,' Draco said coldly as she tried to plant another kiss on him. 'We need to go to breakfast. I'm starving.'

Pansy released him but took hold of his hand, clutching it with a grip of steel. Knowing that this was the best he could hope for, Draco resigned himself to walking into the Great Hall with her and prayed that Hermione wouldn't be there or that she would be sitting with her back to him and wouldn't see him with Pansy.


	8. Chapter 8

Unfortunately for Draco, he was out of luck on both counts. Hermione was at breakfast, looking wan and tired having not slept at all well, picking listlessly at her food as she ignored the conversation of her friends. She was annoyed with herself for continually glancing towards the door waiting for Draco to arrive, not wanting to see him but at the same time wanting the bitter pain that seeing him would cause; in the same way that you couldn't help but pick at a scab even knowing that it was going to sting like hell.

After he left it had taken her what seemed like forever to stop crying; so long, in fact, that Hermione had begun to wonder whether she ever would stop. That Draco had walked out on her without giving her a chance to properly explain her fears was bad enough, but when he called her that foul name, had looked at her as if he hated her, Hermione felt her heart tear and she thought it would kill her. It hadn't, of course. Instead, she had cried until she was numb; until there were no more tears left inside her. Then she had slowly and methodically put away their ingredients and cleared up the potions laboratory, forcing herself to think of runes and their meanings rather than focusing on what had happened with Draco.

Once the room was completely clear and tidy she shakily made her way back to the Gryffindor common room, glad she didn't run into anyone she knew on the way. She spoke only briefly to Harry and Ron who, it seemed, were attempting to revise with Neville, Dean and Seamus. They had asked her to join them, clearly hoping she would help, but she wasn't in the mood for company so she cried off, claiming a headache that had cut short her work on the project. Needing to be alone, she had gone to her room and closed the curtains around her bed for the first time in years to ensure her roommates didn't attempt to engage her in conversation when they finally came up to bed.

As she lay in the dark haven of her bed she thought back to the argument, trying to work out why it had happened and whether anything she could have said or done would have made any difference, but she honestly wasn't sure it would. She had been aware for a long time that Draco was growing ever more frustrated with her refusal to have sex with him, but she had underestimated the strength of that frustration and the fact that he didn't seem to care about whether it got in the way of the project or the exams. Perhaps she should have pushed herself to . . . .

Hermione sighed. She couldn't have pushed herself because the same problem still remained. It wasn't that she didn't want to have sex with Draco — she did, more than she had ever expected to desire it, but he was a Death Eater and that divide between them would always be a deal breaker. So perhaps she should have explained herself better. Blurting out that the reason they hadn't yet slept together was because he was a Death Eater was always going to anger Draco. But if she had quantified it properly, then . . . .

But it didn't matter because Draco had called her a Mudblood. Hermione felt the tears prickle on her eyelashes. How could she still have any tears left? She scrubbed at her eyes to try to banish them as she remembered the moment Draco had broken her heart. That was when she knew for certain that she was in love with him because it hurt so much. But it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Draco didn't feel the same way about her, whatever he had told her. He really had only been interested in getting her to submit to him sexually. His real feelings for her had never changed, otherwise surely he would never have been able to call her that disgusting name. He must have known how much it would hurt her.

Hermione could feel her heart pounding as she recalled the look on Draco's face as he shouted at her. He had been so angry and feeling hurt himself, imagining that she was rejecting him for being a Death Eater, so he had lashed out. Would things have been different if she had managed to calm him down long enough to explain, or would he still have called her a Mudblood? Was that really how he still thought of her?

The tears started again, silent trails running down her cheeks that she hadn't noticed, as engrossed as she was in her thoughts. She dug into her pyjama pocket looking for a tissue and wiped her eyes before blowing her nose. What was going to happen now? They hadn't completed the project, but surely they couldn't continue to work together after what had happened so now it would never get done.

There was no way she could finish the project on her own even if she stopped revising completely; there just wasn't time. But how could they come back from this? She wasn't sure Draco would ever talk to her again, and even if he was willing to she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him after what he had said to her. All their hard work was going to go to waste with no score to show for it and no chance of an Outstanding mark in the N.E.W.T.

Everything had been completely ruined by that one horrible word.

She eventually fell asleep but slept fitfully, haunted by old dreams of peril interspersed with Draco calling her a Mudblood. In these dreams he didn't save her. He was no longer her knight in shining armour but a dark and brooding stranger waiting for the signal to attack, and when she called out to him, begging him to help her, he only laughed cruelly and turned away, leaving her to her fate.

Hermione woke in a cold sweat. The dull grey of pre-dawn turned lighter as the sun came out and shone through the tower window. She pulled back the curtains, shivering, feeling more desolate and alone than she had the day before. She didn't know what she was going to do. Despite what Draco had called her, she was still completely and utterly in love with him — but she wasn't sure she was able to forgive him although a tiny part of her urged her to accept his apology if it came.

She wanted to see him, wanted him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her the way he had done so many times before, wanted the stability and reassurance she had begun to take for granted, but even if he was willing, the insult had cut her to the quick and she wasn't sure she would believe him if he said he hadn't meant it.

Miserably, Hermione got dressed and made her way down to the common room to wait for Harry and Ron. She didn't really want to see them, she didn't want to see anyone but Draco, but knew they would be upset if she didn't wait to have breakfast with them. They had been concerned when they saw her but Hermione told them it was just lack of sleep and she would be fine once she had some breakfast and, fortunately, her friends had taken her at her word — presumably assuming that she had stayed up all night revising.

When the three of them reached the Great Hall she debated whether to sit with her back to the Slytherin table so she couldn't see Draco when he arrived, but eventually took her normal seat, knowing that not seeing would drive her mad and anyway she didn't want to have to explain to Harry and Ron why she had moved.

She had just begun to wonder whether Draco had decided to skip breakfast when the blond-haired Slytherin entered the Great Hall. For a moment Hermione's heart soared at the sight of him but then she took in the whole picture with Pansy Parkinson, looking smugger than she had ever seen her, holding onto Draco like she was welded to him and simpering as if she was his girlfriend.

The realisation that Draco must have had sex with Pansy was like a knife twisting in Hermione's heart and she had to work hard not to cry out with disappointment and disgust. Any thoughts she'd had about accepting Draco's apology were instantly cast away. He was finally showing his true colours. Despite everything they had been through together it seemed he really hadn't changed a bit.

Hermione forced herself to sit at the table for another fifteen minutes, even though she felt so ill that she couldn't eat or drink anything. She tried to drown out the sound of Pansy's irritating voice as the pug-faced girl crowed loudly about how wonderful it was to be back with Draco again. There was also some criticism of Hermione. Admittedly Draco didn't join in with it, but it took every ounce of self-control Hermione could muster to walk out of the Great Hall slowly and calmly with her head held high. She completely ignored Draco as she went, aware that he was trying to get her attention but not wanting to see that smug smile that had ruined so many of her days in the past.

She made her way to Arithmancy class, knowing she wouldn't be able to avoid Draco for long, but she had no intention of talking to him unless he absolutely forced her into it. Surprisingly, the pain he had caused by calling her a Mudblood, as acute as that had been at the time, was nothing compared to what she was feeling now that she knew he had cheated on her.

_It wasn't really cheating, though, was it?_a snide little voice in her mind tried to point out to her. _Your relationship was obviously over when he called you a Mudblood so it can't really be that much of a surprise that he went straight back to Pansy. It was only just before he argued with you that he admitted that he had almost had sex with her the night before, so he obviously decided he wanted her, not you._

Although Hermione tried to ignore the spiteful voice, she couldn't help but think that maybe it was true. Perhaps the reason Draco had argued with her and called her that foul name was because he wanted to go back to Pansy and knew what he was doing was despicable after all the time he had spent trying to get Hermione into bed. That had to be the reason, otherwise why would he have done it when they were so close to finishing the project? It was madness to throw away their chance for an Outstanding mark just because of sex.

During the lesson, Hermione sat as far away from Draco as she could and deliberately placed herself where she couldn't see him, determined not to let him get to her, but it was a difficult class as she couldn't concentrate at all. Instead, her mind insisted on replaying the argument again, as if she hadn't already considered it to death. By the end of the lesson she felt more ill at ease than before as she now had even more work to catch up on.

Before Draco could get hold of her, Hermione grabbed her bag and rushed back down to the Entrance Hall to join Harry and Ron, knowing that being with her friends would be enough to stop him from trying to talk to her. The three of them made their way to Charms class which, she was relieved to find, was a revision day and they were covering spells she already knew how to do without even thinking about, so she wasn't going to fall even further behind because of her inability to concentrate.

But the next class was Potions and Hermione could feel the nasty swirling feeling in her stomach again that made her feel nauseated. She was going to have to sit with Draco, there was no way out of that, and it wouldn't be nice. She thought back to the first day Professor Snape had paired them up and the way Draco had acted then — the same way he had acted towards her last night before he went back to Pansy — and her heart sank at the thought of having to spend an hour with him if he was going to continue to be unpleasant.

'I need to go to the loo,' she told Harry and Ron, feeling the sudden need to be alone for a moment. Tears were welling up and she was determined not to cry in public.

'Well, hurry up, then. You know what that great Greasy Git's like. He'll give you a rocket if you're late,' Ron said.

'Don't worry, I'll be back before Professor Snape comes out. Save a place for me in the queue.'

Hermione hurried down the corridor to the girls' toilet.

Draco watched Hermione disappear into the toilet and debated whether to wait for her in hopes of talking to her before the lesson started. He had seen her reaction when he entered the Great Hall with Pansy clinging to him and knew he had hurt her once again, at least as much as he had done the night before. That stupid little voice in his brain kept trying to convince him that he hadn't done anything wrong, that if anything, she had forced him back to Pansy, but he shut that thought down immediately. Of course he was in the wrong, and if only Hermione would give him the opportunity he would beg for her forgiveness . . . on his knees, if he had to. But it seemed she really didn't want to talk to him as she had gone out of her way to keep away from him.

He decided that trying to talk to her before Potions class was probably a bad move in case it started another argument. They would be sitting together as they always did, Hermione couldn't stop that from happening, so he would bide his time. Hopefully, once the lesson got going he would have a chance to talk to her, and in the classroom setting with all the other people around she wouldn't be able to brush him off or get annoyed with him.

Smiling now at the thought of finally getting to talk to Hermione, Draco made his way to the front of the queue and pushed his way in to join his Slytherin colleagues, ignoring the complaints of two Ravenclaw girls who had been waiting patiently. 

* * *

Professor Snape felt his heart sink as he watched Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, who were sitting at the desk in front of him. It was clear from the moment they walked into the room that something wasn't right between them and as the lesson continued the feeling hadn't decreased.

After Draco's outburst at the beginning of the project, Snape had begun to wonder whether pairing them together had been rather too ambitious. It had taken the boy a month or so before he really settled into what they were supposed to be doing and until that point he was quite disruptive, regardless of whatever punishments were threatened.

But as the months passed they got into their stride and produced some magnificent work between them, and Snape decided he hadn't made a mistake after all. It was true that they'd had to work more closely than most of the other pairs as the project they had been given was extremely challenging on all levels, but then he had been trying to test them, pushing them to see what they could achieve if the barriers that had always been between them were removed, and it had worked even better than he had hoped.

Hermione had got Draco working, properly working, for probably the first time in his life, and it actually suited the intelligent boy to get stuck in rather than mucking around with his friends and banking on his money and his Pure-blood Slytherin status to get him through, as was usually the case. Snape had watched the couple move from the hatred that had always been there, through grudging respect to mutual appreciation of their talents, and finally, to a friendship that, if given the chance, could be pretty special.

It was nice to see the couple getting on so well and Draco ignoring the bigotry of his friends, but Snape was a realist and knew that once the project was over things were likely to return to the way they had been before, the pressure of Draco's peers and family, not to mention his loyalty to the Dark Lord, were stronger than any fragile relationship he may have built with Hermione. It was a shame, as they complemented each other in so many ways, and Snape had been hopeful that Draco would at least keep the respect he had gained for Hermione, which would make it that much harder for him to go up against her when the war started that was so close now.

But something had obviously gone wrong and it was clear from the way they were interacting today that they weren't speaking to each other. It was reminiscent of the first day they had sat together, Draco deliberately ignoring his new partner and being belligerent and unreasonable, but this time it seemed to be Hermione who was causing the distance between them.

For a moment Snape wondered whether they had finished the project ahead of schedule and resumed hostilities, but he had a horrible feeling this wasn't the case. Draco and Hermione weren't talking to each other because of an argument and if it was allowed to continue it would jeopardise everything they had worked so hard to achieve over the last year.

Snape didn't want to draw the attention of the rest of the class to their quarrel, though, so he would have to wait until the end of the lesson to find out what was wrong.

As the class worked, Snape studied the couple more intently. It was clear, if you were looking for it, that Hermione was unhappy. She looked hurt, whereas Draco looked . . . well, he looked guilty. His heart sinking even further, Snape pondered what Draco could have done to prompt such responses in both of them.

He could think of one thing but really hoped the boy hadn't been that stupid, not so close to the end of the project. Snape had hoped that as their friendship grew Draco would stop thinking of Hermione as different from him and would finally understand that calling her a Mudblood was wrong. And as far as Snape was aware Draco had stopped, even if to begin with it was only because he had been threatened with detention and a visit to the Headmaster. But if he had called her a Mudblood after all this time what had Hermione done to provoke him? It was a mystery Snape was going to have to get to the bottom of.

'I'd like a word with you before you leave, Mr Malfoy,' Snape told Draco as the blond-haired boy was packing his bag at the end of the lesson.

Draco glanced at Hermione for a moment, wondering whether she had spoken to the teacher about what had happened. He didn't want to stay behind. Having not managed to get a word out of Hermione during the lesson he had intended to try to talk to her before she went to lunch and staying to talk to Professor Snape would give her the chance to escape him yet again. But he knew he had no choice. If his Head of House wanted to talk to him he had to obey, not try to find an excuse for why he had to leave.

He watched disappointedly as Hermione joined her friends on the way out of the classroom, not even looking back at him.

When the last person had left and the door was closed, Snape looked critically at Draco.

'What did you do, Mr Malfoy?' Snape's tone was confrontational, knowing it was likely to be the only way he could get the cagey boy to say anything.

Annoyance spread through Draco at the thought that Professor Snape was blaming him for the argument without even knowing what was going on and this automatically made him bullish. He glared at the Potions Master.

'Nothing,' he said truculently. 'I haven't done anything and I don't know why you would assume it was my fault.'

'Come now, Mr Malfoy. The tension between you and Miss Granger today was strangely reminiscent of your first day as partners. I couldn't help but wonder whether anything else in your behaviour was reminiscent of that time,' Snape said meaningfully.

Draco scowled more deeply. 'I didn't do anything, Professor,' he insisted. 'Why aren't you interrogating Hermione instead of me?'

'I have every intention of talking to Miss Granger,' Snape replied calmly. 'But I wanted to give you the opportunity to explain first. It was clear from your expressions that you were the one who caused the bad feeling between you. Miss Granger looked hurt, whereas you looked guilty.'

Draco stared at him for a moment as if assessing what to say, then he sighed.

'All right, it _was_ me. I was a bloody idiot. I was annoyed with Hermione and I called her a Mudblood.'

Snape didn't look surprised at Draco's confession but internally he sighed with disappointment at being right.

'Why did you call her that? I thought you had learned not to use that word. I thought that by now you understood there was more to Miss Granger than you had always supposed,' he said, sounding disappointed.

Draco looked uncomfortable at this question. 'I don't really want to talk about it,' he said dully.

His temper was now gone as he thought about Hermione being so upset. Even old Snape had picked up on it. But how could he explain why he had done it? He had always been surprised that the Potions Master was so vehemently against the disparaging term for Muggle-borns when he was a Death Eater, too, and must hate them just as much as the rest of the Dark Lord's followers did.

But with Snape being a close friend of his father there was no way Draco could admit the real reason he had been annoyed with Hermione; that would be tantamount to suicide and would probably get Hermione killed, even though nothing had really happened between them. What could he say that would adequately explain his reaction without giving away the truth?

As Snape continued to stare at Draco, a vision of Lily and the terrible day that had ruined his relationship with her forever came into his mind. He had been very much in love with the beautiful redhead and had never meant to hurt her, but his fury at Potter and Black had been so virulent and all-consuming that he had lashed out at her, in shame and anger, and in doing so he had lost his girlfriend. He had tried hard to apologise but Lily wouldn't accept it. That terrible word had caused so much devastation and hurt, ruining his life with no hope of reconciliation. Since that fateful day, he had never been able to stomach anyone using the word, especially the students.

Was it possible that things between Draco and Hermione had gone even further than friendship? Had they become romantically involved and were experiencing the same problem he and Lily had faced all those years ago? It would certainly explain why Draco was unwilling to talk to him about the subject of their argument.

As a Death Eater and close friend of his father, Draco would be worried about the reaction to such a confession. And if it was true, it was unlikely that Hermione would confide in him, either. Worse still, if it was true, then based on his own experience it was possible that nothing could be done to reconcile the couple — all their hard work would be wasted, the N.E.W.T. would be forfeited and both of their lives would be made far worse by what had happened.

Snape felt a momentary flash of guilt. This was his fault — his and Albus'. If the blasted Headmaster hadn't taken it into his head to try to unite the school none of this would have happened. Hermione and Draco would both be heading towards their N.E.W.T. exams with their project successfully under their belts and as ready for the exam as they could ever hope to be.

Obviously, it wasn't completely Albus' fault. Snape knew he could still have paired the couple with other people to ensure there was no chance of disruption, but his desire to see what his two best students could achieve if they were really pushed had swept away all ideas of caution. He had taken a chance and it had gone against him, as everything in his life always did eventually, and because of that chance those same two best students were about to fail their exams unless he could do something to stop it from happening.

Less harshly now, he said, 'I don't really care why you said it, Mr Malfoy. It's none of my business or anyone else's what happened between you and Miss Granger. It's just extremely disappointing to hear that you used that derogatory term, especially after all this time. I thought you more intelligent than that. Can I assume that you haven't worked on the project together since the argument took place?'

Draco shook his head, looking even more miserable now.

'As I said, I don't care what happened or why, but I do care about you and Miss Granger finishing the project. So you are going to make every effort to apologise to her, Mr Malfoy. You will do anything you need to do in order to make her accept the apology and agree to work with you again. Do you understand me?'

'She won't even look at me,' Draco said miserably. 'So how the hell am I supposed to get her to talk to me?'

'As I said, I shall be having a word with Miss Granger. I will make it equally clear to her that she needs to end this feud,' Snape answered.

'Don't be mean to her, though,' Draco blurted out without thinking. Then he added more contritely, 'It's really not her fault, sir. I was the one who lost my temper and shouted. I was the one who called her a Mudblood. And now all my friends know and they've been rubbing it in all morning, which can only have made things worse.'

Draco thought back to breakfast in the Great Hall for a moment and the conversation between his friends that had surely been loud enough for Hermione to hear. His heart twinged painfully as he recalled the look on Hermione's face when she saw Pansy clinging to him, and the way she had held her head high as she left the room, trying to ignore the hurtful comments that were being made about her, although he knew inside she was in pain. Even if by some miracle she forgave him for calling her that foul name, Draco knew she would never forgive him for what he had done with Pansy.

'Then you have your work cut out,' Snape said, his voice matter-of-fact. 'I expect the two of you to be working together on the project after school as usual — I will be checking. I assume you are on the last potion?'

Draco nodded. 'We were just about to start it when we had the argument.'

'Then you've no time to waste,' Snape told him. 'I suggest you apologise to her directly after lunch. I will speak to her in here and you can wait outside and talk to her once she leaves.'

'Thank you, sir,' Draco said, although he wasn't sure why he was thanking the teacher for forcing him through the pain of confronting Hermione.

He picked up his bag and walked towards the door.

'Don't let this come between you and Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy,' Snape said suddenly. He sounded sympathetic.

Draco turned to look at him, trying to work out whether Professor Snape knew about him and Hermione being a couple. He wasn't sure what the expression he saw on the Potion Master's face meant.

'I'll try not to,' he promised, hoping it would be possible.


	9. Chapter 9

Professor Snape cornered Hermione on her way out of the Great Hall after lunch and requested she meet him in the Potions classroom so he could talk to her. She had been half expecting it after he kept Draco behind and she had thought all through lunch about what she would say to him whilst wondering what, if anything, Draco had told him about the argument.

'Would you care to tell me what is going on between you and Mr Malfoy?' Snape asked once they were safely ensconced in his classroom, keeping his voice even.

'We had an argument,' Hermione replied in a small voice.

'An argument. Yes, thank you, Miss Granger. I think a malformed mountain troll who had never met the two of you before would be able to work out that you'd had an argument. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what was so important that you had such a huge row only days before finishing your project,' Snape retorted sarcastically.

Hermione stared at him looking miserable for a moment, then shook her head.

'I see,' Snape said, his voice several degrees colder now. 'So you got touchy about something Mr Malfoy did and overreacted, did you?'

Hermione bristled at the inference that she was to blame for the argument, although she should have expected it. Professor Snape was always biased towards the Slytherins. Annoyed, she suddenly decided she wasn't going to protect Draco after all. She had no idea what excuse her ex-boyfriend had given his Head of House, although whatever it was he had clearly painted her in a bad light. Professor Snape would hear the truth from her even if he didn't like it, and if he refused to believe her she would insist on seeing the Headmaster to get the justice she deserved. Draco had been warned several times what would happen if he continued to use that horrid word and now she wanted to see him punished for it. Nothing she could ever do to him would hurt as much as he had hurt her, but at least it would be a start.

Glaring at the Potions Master, she said coldly, 'Draco called me a Mudblood.'

Snape stared back at her for a moment and then shrugged, seemingly uncaring. 'So what? He's called you that many times over the years, Miss Granger. Surely you must be used to it by now.'

Hermione looked hurt at Snape's comment and thrown off balance by it. She could feel tears welling again as she thought of Draco.

'It was such a long time since he last said it,' she said, her voice only just louder than a whisper. 'I thought things had changed and we were . . . .' She broke off as if floundering for what to say, then in a tiny voice added, '. . . friends.'

'Why did he call you that, Miss Granger?' Snape asked, his voice more sympathetic now.

Hermione shook her head again.

'I need to know, Miss Granger, so I can judge how serious this is — bearing in mind that you still have a project to complete together.'

Hermione looked completely stricken. 'I can't,' she said quietly.

'Can't what, Miss Granger?'

'Can't work with Draco,' Hermione said, her voice miserable and on the verge of tears.

'Then explain to me why,' Snape insisted.

'Because he called me a Mudblood,' Hermione retorted, as if that was enough, which as far as she was concerned it should be.

Surely Professor Snape could understand where she was coming from. He had always been so annoyed whenever he caught anyone using the word in the past. The truth was that she didn't even want to recall what Draco had done with Pansy — that was too much, and if the pain in her heart was anything to go by it would probably kill her if she thought about it too hard.

Snape knew there had to be more to their argument than the insult. It was true that he and Lily had split up because of that word but they hadn't been working together on a project for their N.E.W.T.s at the time. If they had, he knew Lily would have sucked it up until the project was over, determined not to fail, and depressingly that might conceivably have given him the time he needed to convince her not to end the relationship.

Instead, it had happened just after their exams and there was no project to bring them back together. But that was enough about him and Lily. He had to sort out this problem with Hermione and Draco. Whatever had caused Draco to harangue Hermione was what he wanted to know about and was the true cause of her refusal to continue working with the boy. Snape was certain that if it was only the name-calling, Hermione, like Lily, would stick it out until the project was complete.

'I understand that his use of that insult after such a long time was enough to upset you, Miss Granger, but considering the amount of work you've done together on the project, surely that isn't enough for you to let it all fall apart . . . to fail your exam. So I ask again: why can't you work with Mr Malfoy?'

Hermione closed her eyes in an effort to stop the tears that threatened. Professor Snape was obviously going to hound her until she gave him an explanation he believed, and she had no idea what to say. She wished she knew what Draco had told him so she could have had time to concoct a story of her own. For a moment she thought of telling the teacher the truth, of admitting their relationship, but she knew he was a good friend of Lucius Malfoy's and it was just too dangerous.

What could she say? Hermione's heart clattered with panic and her stomach roiled. Her brain was suddenly a complete blank and she couldn't think of a single excuse, certainly not one that Professor Snape was likely to believe. She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she realised she had no choice but to tell the truth.

But she couldn't do it, couldn't be the one who put her and Draco in danger — because whatever Draco had told the teacher, he obviously hadn't mentioned their relationship. She bit the inside of her bottom lip as she hurriedly considered. Perhaps Professor Snape would stop pushing if she told him about Lucius Malfoy. That would be enough to hint at what had happened between her and Draco, and hopefully the Potions Master would let it rest. Then she wouldn't have to admit what Draco had actually done to her.

'Well, come on, Miss Granger, tell me the truth.' Snape's voice was losing its warmth again, knowing he needed to get her to talk quickly. He had a class due to start shortly and Draco still needed to talk to her before they went to their own afternoon classes.

An expression of fear crossed Hermione's face and she shook her head again. 'I can't,' she whispered miserably. 'If Lucius Malfoy—'

With those words Snape knew he had confirmation that he was right about Draco and Hermione having been a romantic couple. There was no other reason for either of them to fear Lucius as he was already unhappily aware they were project partners. Whilst his friend didn't like the pairing and had complained vociferously to Snape at the outset, he had eventually accepted, albeit unwillingly, that he had no say in how the Potions Master ran his classes; and even more grudgingly admitted that Hermione was Draco's nearest match in terms of ability.

Wanting to ease Hermione's distress and hoping that it might prompt her to tell him exactly what had happened, he interrupted before she could say anything more.

'I can assure you, Miss Granger, anything you tell me will not be repeated to _anyone_ outside this room, and certainly not to Lucius Malfoy. You can talk to me in the strictest confidence.'

Hermione studied him carefully for a moment, weighing up whether he was telling her the truth, then decided she would take a chance and confide in him. Although Professor Snape appeared to be a Death Eater, the same as Draco and his father, Hermione knew that in reality he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and was using his position within Voldemort's ranks to spy for Professor Dumbledore, or so she had been told. Hopefully, this was true and he would stick to his word and not tell Lucius Malfoy about her relationship with Draco; he would surely be aware of the repercussions of doing that.

She knew the Potions Master had never really liked her, mainly because she was a bit of a know-it-all, but surely he wouldn't put her or his favourite student, Draco, in a position where their lives could be in danger, would he? And now it came to it, the chance to share with someone else the pain of what had happened was something she realised she desperately needed. It had been so hard keeping everything a secret, not able to talk to anyone about it, especially when what had happened at the end was so hurtful.

'Draco was annoyed that I was more interested in getting the project finished and exam revision done than being with him,' she said. Then, feeling the need to be completely truthful if she was going to do this, she admitted, 'I had been having some problems coming to terms with him being a Death Eater.'

Snape looked surprised for a moment. So the relationship was serious enough that Draco had told her about his affiliation with the Dark Lord. No wonder they were worried about Lucius finding out.

'How long has this been going on?' Snape asked interestedly.

'We've been a couple since Draco was tasked to take me to Vol—' Snape glared at her use of Voldemort's name and she hurriedly amended— 'You-Know-Who.' She swallowed, then asked, 'Did you know he had been asked to take me, sir?'

Snape inclined his head a little. 'I had heard something on the grapevine. I wasn't at the meeting so I didn't hear the command myself, but a couple of other students were there and I overheard them talking about it afterwards. The Headmaster was informed immediately, of course, but we weren't too worried as we knew you couldn't be abducted unless you left school grounds and you were far too busy working on the project for that to happen.'

'It almost did, though,' Hermione told him, making Snape look at her in surprise again. 'The Hogsmeade weekend after the Death Eater meeting I was the only person in our Potions class to go to the village. Everyone was busy with the project, and I honestly didn't want to waste the time when I could have been working on my potion too, but I urgently needed more stationery and I also had a list of things others wanted from the village since I had decided to go. I thought Draco was staying behind to continue with the potion we were working on while I went shopping and I was due to join him when I got back. That's what we had agreed, anyway.'

She broke off for a moment, thinking about how scared she had been when Draco threatened to take her to Voldemort.

'I was walking past the Hog's Head pub on my way back to the school when Draco grabbed me. He told me he had been tasked by You-Know-Who to take me to him so he could use me to lure Harry into a trap. Draco said he had been promised that I would be his once the plan had been successfully achieved.'

Snape's brain was whirring as he thought about the implication of what Hermione had just told him. It was extremely worrying that she had come so close to being abducted, but it seemed that Draco's desire for her ran far deeper than either Snape or the Dark Lord had realised. Somehow she had managed to stop him from doing something that would have been catastrophic if it had come off in the way Voldemort intended.

The Dark Lord must have read Draco's mind, seen his desire, and used the possibility of a relationship with the beautiful girl without incurring Lucius' wrath as a fillip to get the boy to do his bidding. Snape was certain, however, that no such relationship would have been allowed to flourish if the plan had been successful. After killing Potter the Dark Lord would have slaughtered Hermione, and quite probably Draco, too. He definitely wouldn't be happy that one of his inner circle had become a blood-traitor and would choose to make an example of him, wanting to show the rest of his followers what happened to those who went against his wishes. Draco's death would also have punished Lucius even further for his failure at the Ministry of Magic.

Now Snape had to know what Hermione had done to stop Draco. He was also intrigued to know just how intimate their relationship was.

'When you say "his,"' Snape led as tactfully as he could.

'His lover,' Hermione said dully. 'You-Know-Who told Draco that I would be his lover and his father would be able to do nothing to stop it.'

Snape nodded as if he understood, but then asked with a slight frown, 'And was this the first time that anything . . . erm . . . romantic had happened between you?'

Hermione blushed and shook her head. 'I suppose it really began back when we were on the third potion, the one where we got attacked by the troll in the Forbidden Forest. Draco saved my life because I tripped right in front of the troll and sprained my ankle. He came back and picked me up and carried me out of the forest to safety.' Her voice dropped to just above a whisper as if she was embarrassed at what she was admitting. 'I was so grateful for what he'd done that I kissed him. I still don't know why because I'd never wanted to kiss him before. It was just adrenaline, I suppose.'

'And what did Mr Malfoy do?' Snape asked interestedly.

'He kissed me back.' Hermione bit her bottom lip nervously. 'We kissed a few times over the next few months but it was just the odd one-off, nothing to get too het up over. But then Draco started going on about us being a couple . . . but having to keep it a secret so his father and friends didn't find out.'

'I take it you weren't too happy about that,' Snape said.

Hermione looked at him in surprise. 'What makes you say that? I'm friends with Harry and Ron, remember. They still detest Draco and he them, so they wouldn't have been happy to find out about the two of us.'

'I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions,' Snape replied, sounding contrite.

Hermione sighed loudly. 'As it happens, you were right. Even though I knew Harry and Ron would be furious with me I had my pride. I didn't want to be Draco's dirty little secret, so I told him no. It made working together quite difficult for a few weeks and the project nearly fell apart then. The next thing I knew I was being pushed up against a wall and Draco was telling me he was going to take me to You-Know-Who and that he knew all about us.

'I tried to convince Draco that he would never allow us to be a couple. I thought it was obvious that he was going to use me to get to Harry and then he would kill both of us and maybe Draco, too, but I just wasn't able to convince Draco. He was certain You-Know-Who would keep his word, so I had no choice but to agree to be his girlfriend . . . on the condition that he _didn't_ take me to You-Know-Who.

'Fortunately, Draco finally agreed and let me return to school, but he thought I meant there would be rather more to the relationship than I actually meant, so there were a few more minor arguments after that.'

Snape waited to see what she was going to say next although he thought he had a fairly good idea where the story was going now.

Hermione glanced at him, then blushed again as she admitted, 'Draco was getting annoyed that we weren't getting more . . . erm . . . intimate. But I was having a problem. I really like Draco but I can't cope with him being a Death Eater. How could I go with him knowing that what they and their master want is to rid the wizarding world of people like me? How could we be lovers yet be on different sides in the war? So I stalled and used the need to work on the project, and then the need to revise for the exams, to put off the inevitable.

'But Draco got fed up with waiting. I knew he was frustrated, he had told me so often enough, but before I had a chance to properly explain about the Death Eater thing he lost his temper and called me a Mudblood. It really hurt . . . although not as much as finding out that he went straight back to Pansy and—'

Hermione stopped abruptly as she felt the tears escaping, her heart tearing again from the remembrance of what Draco had done to her. She scrubbed at her eyes to force away the tears.

'I see,' Snape said quietly, trying to keep his voice neutral. 'I can certainly understand why you were upset, Miss Granger although I can sympathise with Mr Malfoy, too. It must have been extremely difficult for him working so closely with you for such extended periods considering the significant desire he's obviously been battling with.' Hermione stared at him in annoyance. Snape, realising that she thought he was siding with Draco, hurriedly added, 'I'm not excusing what he did, though, please don't think that.'

Hermione sighed again and said unhappily, 'I know he was frustrated but I begged him to wait until after the exams when we would have more time to sort it out. When he started shouting at me I tried to get him to let me explain about my difficulty with us being on different sides. But then he called me a Mudblood and I knew then that he didn't really care about me at all.

'I thought he'd changed, that he'd learnt I was the same as him, but he hadn't really. He just wanted to get in my knickers and was angry that I hadn't let him. Going off with Pansy proved that conclusively. It hurt so much to know what he did with her . . . even more than what he said.'

'He knows he's been extremely foolish,' Snape told her gently. 'He really is very sorry for what he's done.'

'I can't even bear to look at him at the moment,' Hermione told the teacher honestly. 'It hurts every time I even think about it. It doesn't matter what he says, he must have thought I was a Mudblood to call me that.' She didn't mention Pansy again as that was just too painful.

'Mr Malfoy did tell me what he had done,' Snape told her.

'Then why did you make me tell you?' Hermione asked miserably.

'Because I wanted to hear your side of things. I understand that you're feeling hurt by what happened and that's understandable . . . and justifiable, too. But is it worth failing your Potions exam over, Miss Granger? I understand it will be a little uncomfortable initially, but I honestly believe you should talk to Mr Malfoy and allow him to apologise to you.

'He is truly sorry and I don't believe for one minute that he still sees you as a Mudblood. He wouldn't have been able to have a relationship of any sort with you if he did. He just lashed out in anger and resorted to name-calling as he knew it would upset you.'

'And then he shagged Pansy,' Hermione pointed out, the bitterness spewing forth before she could stop it. 'What was his excuse for that?'

'He didn't mention that to me although to be fair he was hardly likely to. Obviously, I am not party to Mr Malfoy's feelings but I suspect that just as his anger made him verbally abuse you, he then went on to do the one thing that he knew would truly upset you. I suspect from his demeanour today that Mr Malfoy not only regrets hurting you but that he also regrets his action with regards to Miss Parkinson,' Snape said, keeping his voice reasonable.

Hermione looked at him sceptically. 'But you don't know that. You said he didn't tell you about it.'

'No, and he was unlikely to. He was trying to protect you,' Snape pointed out. 'Unlike you, who are aware of my role within the Order of the Phoenix, Mr Malfoy believes me to be a loyal Death Eater and a spy for the Dark Lord. I am also a good friend of his father and I'm certain he was convinced, as you were, to begin with, that if I were to find out about your relationship I would immediately tell Lucius. I think we all know how Lucius would react to such news, hence the reason for Draco wanting to keep your relationship a secret in the first place and his refusal to discuss what caused the argument.

'I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you are not Lucius' favourite person, Miss Granger, especially after the Ministry of Magic debacle. Of all the people Lucius would not want his son involved with romantically, you are firmly at the top of the list.'

'Or maybe he just didn't want to admit what a bastard he'd been,' Hermione retorted. 'Let's face it, it's hard to respect someone who is abusive and cheats.'

'But Mr Malfoy did tell me what he called you, even though he knew I would punish him for it. I think he wanted the punishment because he knew he'd done wrong. He was definitely upset at hurting you. I understand why you're not happy with him but I really think you need to talk to him, let him explain his side of the story, and then you can explain properly to him why the relationship isn't going as he had hoped.' Snape stopped and looked at Hermione for a moment, taking in her unhappy expression. 'You care for Mr Malfoy very deeply, don't you, Miss Granger?'

Hermione stared at him for a moment, then nodded. She looked downcast and beaten.

'He cares for you, too, you know.' Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Snape raised his hand to stop her. 'I know, you're going to mention what he did again, but I tell you it was purely sexual frustration and anger that fuelled both of his actions that upset you. You need to think back to when Mr Malfoy was going to take you to the Dark Lord. Do you have any concept, Miss Granger, of just what he risked to not do as he was ordered? That he listened to you and did as you asked is a testament to how much he cares for you.'

'He thought I was going to have sex with him,' Hermione reminded Snape sharply. 'That's why he did it. Not to save me from You-Know-Who. If I hadn't agreed to be his girlfriend he would have taken me. He told me a few weeks later he wished he had done.'

'It's true that he probably did wish that and it would have been partly because he was sexually frustrated. But I can assure you that the main reason would have been because he felt guilt at not carrying out the Dark Lord's orders, and it would be making him anxious. You were right to try to stop him, Miss Granger but had anyone seen you in Hogsmeade that day, Draco's life would have been forfeit for not doing as he was told. It may still be.

'The Dark Lord hasn't held another meeting since then so currently Draco is okay, because as far as the Dark Lord knows he hasn't had a chance to take you. But if one word reaches him that you were out of school that day and that Draco knew you were in Hogsmeade and didn't do as he was ordered . . . well, I don't think I need to spell it out, do I? You're an intelligent girl and you know what happens to those who upset the Dark Lord.'

'Is that likely?' Hermione asked quietly, worry showing in her voice.

Snape stared at her intently for a couple of seconds. 'I honestly don't know. There are spies of all sorts all over the wizarding world and Hogsmeade is no exception. You were fortunate that most of Mr Malfoy's friends who are also Death Eaters remained at school because of the project. But there are plenty of people with ties to the Death Eaters who might think nothing of mentioning seeing you or him.'

'That's why I want him to give up this Death Eater crap,' Hermione said unhappily. 'The Order of the Phoenix would protect him if he decided to join us, wouldn't they?'

Snape sighed. 'They would. If Mr Malfoy chose to come across then they would accept him although it would take some time before he was trusted enough to be let in on anything of any real importance. But you can't just walk away from the Death Eaters, Miss Granger. It's not that easy. For Mr Malfoy it's even harder as his father and his mother, too, to some extent, are tied up with them, as are aunts and uncles and several of his closest friends. It would be like asking you to give up everything you've ever held dear to become a Death Eater, knowing that the friends and family you were leaving behind were likely to be punished for your desertion. Obviously, you can't do that because you're Muggle-born, but I'm sure you understand the analogy.'

Hermione nodded, feeling guilty herself now. Throughout their relationship, she had never really properly considered what Draco was going through. She now saw that she had been selfish and cruel in her demands, so perhaps she deserved what had happened.

'And now you're thinking it's your fault and you deserve what Mr Malfoy did to you,' Snape said shrewdly. 'I can assure you it's not your fault. You are both young and have a lot to learn, and unfortunately, you don't have much time because the war is coming — and soon. You both handled the situation badly, although I know you thought you were doing the right thing, Miss Granger. If you care for Mr Malfoy at all, then please give him another chance — or at least give him the time to explain why he did what he did. You are both more aware now, so I don't think it could happen again, especially if you consider both sides before you act.'

'But it hurt so much,' Hermione's voice was just above a whisper. 'I just don't know if I can forgive him for what he did. To be honest, if it was just the Mudblood thing I probably could get over that, but what he did with Pansy—' She broke off, unable to say more.

'Then you no longer care for Mr Malfoy?' Snape asked.

'Of course I do,' Hermione retorted a touch bitterly. She was crying now, dabbing her tissue at her eyes to try to stop the tears. 'I'm in love with him. That's why it hurts so much.'

Snape studied her for a moment as she continued to dry her eyes, then told her, 'If that's true, then there is even more reason for you to not let this spiral out of control. Give Mr Malfoy the chance to prove himself to you. He will do it, I'm certain of it.'

Hermione just stared at him miserably, apparently too upset to argue any further.

'You both need to finish this project — and believe me, Miss Granger, one way or another I will make you do it. If you refuse to talk to Mr Malfoy it will be uncomfortable and painful for both of you, and as I'm sure you're well aware by now, making potions is a delicate art and you need to _concentrate_. So I suggest the two of you take the opportunity to discuss what has happened as soon as possible. You're both wasting valuable time that I know you don't have to spare,' Snape said, his voice hard and sombre now that he had to get through to Hermione. 'You both finish at four o'clock today?'

Hermione shook her head. 'Draco finishes at three. Usually, he gets the potion out of stasis or prepares the ingredients while he waits for me. We always brew the potion together.'

'Then Mr Malfoy will do just as he would always do although I would suggest that he not wait for you before starting the brewing process if he is ready to go earlier. You really are both up against it now, time-wise and need to claw back wherever you can. You, Miss Granger, will join Mr Malfoy after your final class of the day. I will stop by your lab sometime shortly after the end of school to check that you are both there and working, so I suggest you don't dawdle.

'If you are not both there then you will both find yourself in permanent detention until the end of the school year — and believe me, I can find some extremely distasteful things for you to do that will severely impact your remaining revision time for all your classes. On top of this, I shall withdraw you both from the Potions exam as I will be failing you for not completing your project, and there would be little point in sitting the exam when the best you could hope to achieve would be a D.'

Hermione glared at Professor Snape, furious at what he was forcing her to do although part of her was glad he was doing it. She wanted to finish the project and she was sure Draco did too, she just wasn't sure she could talk to him or forgive him.

'Do I make myself clear, Miss Granger?' Snape asked.

Hermione nodded.

'I know it will be hard,' Snape admitted. 'But the key is to talk to Mr Malfoy. Clear the air between you and the way will be much simpler . . . especially if you want to convince him to join the Order of the Phoenix.'

Hermione looked at Snape in surprise and shook her head. 'I don't think I could ask that of him now, whatever happens. It wouldn't be fair.'

'Even to save his life, and to save your relationship?' Snape asked quietly. 'If I'm right about how Mr Malfoy feels about you, I think there's a good chance you could bring him round. The Dark Lord knows he's a blood-traitor and will not hesitate to have him killed if it suits his purpose. If he suspects how you feel about Mr Malfoy in return it will give him much ammunition to use against you, and Potter as well once the war starts.

'Would you be able to watch Mr Malfoy being tortured because you refused to do something the Dark Lord ordered? Do you think Mr Malfoy would be able to kill or torture you if he was ordered to? If he couldn't, he would most certainly suffer in your place. I suspect he would prefer that to seeing you in pain, but what would that do to you, Miss Granger?'

'But his family would hate him,' Hermione argued. 'That's why I always knew this relationship wouldn't work out. In the end, he will need to be with them and I have to be with Harry. All that's happened is that it's ended early, which is probably for the best.'

'Except that you love each other. Tell me how being apart is for the best when that's the case?' Snape asked. 'You're wrong about his family, by the way. Yes, Bellatrix will probably disown him, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing under the circumstances, considering her mental state. Narcissa just wants her son to be happy, and I know for a fact that she wasn't pleased when he took the Dark Mark, even though she stood by him and understood why he had to do it. She would be happy if he was away from the Dark Lord, even if he was with you. She would know he was safer with the Order of the Phoenix than subject to the whims of that madman. Lucius would not be so happy, it's true, but then he is much changed from his old self. Azkaban took a lot out of him so maybe he, too, would just prefer that his son was safe although being with you would be a hard thing for him to take.'

'I don't even know if Draco will talk to me, so I certainly can't make any promises about getting him away from You-Know-Who,' Hermione said.

'He'll definitely talk to you if you give him the opportunity,' Snape told her with conviction. 'He's waiting outside for you right now.' More gently he added, 'Please go and talk to him.'

Hermione looked scared for a moment at the revelation that Draco was outside the door, then took a deep breath as if to ready herself. She nodded. 'I'll see you later this afternoon, sir,' she said stoically.

'This _is_ worth doing, Miss Granger,' Snape said, and he gave her a kind smile.

'I hope you're right,' Hermione replied. She gave him a weak smile in return and walked towards the door, then turned back to look at him. 'Are you going to wish me luck?'

'Do you need it?' Snape asked.

Hermione thought for a second, then shook her head. 'Not really. It's not luck I need, it's a metal heart.'

Snape gave her another smile. 'I think you'll be fine, Miss Granger. Just remember that you both need to listen as well as talk, and make sure that finishing the project is your primary goal regardless of whatever else you decide. If you can work together for that, you can get through anything.'

Hermione thought about Snape's advice. 'Thank you. I'll remember that.' She opened the door, then turned back again as if remembering something. 'Can we get an extension on the project, Professor Snape?'

Snape stared at her, his face unreadable. 'We'll discuss that when I see you both later. Now go, or you won't have time to talk before afternoon lessons start.'


	10. Chapter 10

Professor Snape was right. Draco was waiting outside the door for Hermione. He had been pacing relentlessly, wondering what was taking her so long. He had no idea what she and the Potions Master were talking about but he had to hope that she wasn't telling him about their relationship otherwise his father would soon be on the warpath.

Had she told Snape what Draco had done to her? Professor Snape already knew about him calling her a Mudblood, but Draco hadn't mentioned Pansy. That would have been enough for the teacher to work out why they had been arguing, so it needed to stay a secret. But Draco was certain that given the amount of time Hermione had now spent in the Potions classroom, his stupid indiscretion was no longer a secret. Would Professor Snape be as disgusted with him as he was with himself, Draco wondered?

He thought back to the night before, remembering the anger that had overwhelmed him as he stormed back to the Slytherin common room still raging about Hermione rejecting him for being a Death Eater when he had turned himself into a blood-traitor for her. He knew he should have stayed to hear her explanation as she had begged him to do, but he had been far too angry for that, which was why he had missed those two key words that had broken his heart when he remembered them this morning and understood just how stupid he had been and how much he had lost.

Calling her a Mudblood had been underhanded and cruel but was a quick win to make him feel better at the time. Taking Pansy to bed had been so much worse, and not just because it had hurt Hermione. But the anger had caused his libido to rage too, and with his new-found fury it had seemed a good idea at the time as he cared only about relieving the frustration Hermione had caused.

That it would cause her pain was a bonus he hadn't even considered when he first grabbed Pansy to give her a kiss, but later, when she started slagging off Hermione, he knew he had not just crossed the line but had erased it and built a brick wall between him and his girlfriend. He didn't care at that moment as he was having too much fun with Pansy, and his anger was keeping him from feeling the guilt that deep inside he knew he should be suffering. All he could think about was his next climax and the need to forget that Hermione even existed.

And now he was stuck between a beautiful and currently ex-girlfriend who wouldn't talk to him because he was a despicable, selfish bastard who had ridden roughshod over her feelings and then cheated on her, and an overeager, slutty limpet who he had no desire to even talk to let alone ever touch again. And unless old Snape said something magical to Hermione there would be no completion of the Potions project and quite probably no Potions exam, or at least not a passing mark, and Draco had no idea how the hell he was going to explain that to his parents.

He sighed and began another circuit of the floor outside the Potions classroom, wishing he had realized at the time what Hermione had said to him. If only he could take it all back, could reverse time and relive it, he would make sure he didn't make the same mistake again. Instead of raging at her for not giving him the intimacy he wanted so much he should have explained how he was feeling and given her the chance to understand that he wanted her so badly it hurt.

And he should have listened to her, should have given her the chance to explain properly, too. That was what he had intended. He had meant to get Hermione to open up to him and give him a clue as to what he could do to make her more amenable to making love, but as soon as she mentioned his being a Death Eater he had taken umbrage and his temper had exploded.

Gods, he hoped Professor Snape was saying something to convince Hermione to give him another chance otherwise, he would lose her forever, and he couldn't cope with that. Not now. He needed her and not just to complete the Potions project. Draco was in love with Hermione — just as he now knew, thanks to those two little words he had missed in his anger and terrible self-righteousness last night, that she was in love with him, too.

In the months they had spent together, ever since the first time she had kissed him, Draco had been happier than he had ever been before in his life. He finally felt complete and he knew it was because of Hermione. It seemed to him that he and Hermione were always destined to be together; surely all the bickering for the previous six years had been the two of them trying to deny their attraction for each other.

And what attraction it was. His heart always beat faster when he glimpsed Hermione for the first time each day, and every time he saw her even after only a short time apart. Blaise was right about him looking at her — he did, every possible moment he could get away with; sometimes unable to believe his luck that this beautiful girl was willing to be his girlfriend, especially knowing how much she disliked it being a secret.

But he hated that, too. He had lost count of the number of times he had become frustrated at not being able to kiss her or even hold her hand in public. He wanted that and more. He wanted everyone to know Hermione was his, that despite everything, despite all the awful things people thought about him, he had something wonderful in his life — something good. But he didn't dare.

Nor did he dare to think about the future, about what would happen if the Dark Lord declared war. He knew that was at the root of Hermione's anxiety, more so than his being a Death Eater, but he hadn't wanted to acknowledge that; yet another reason for his anger with her. The problem was that Hermione was right. They were and would remain on different sides, and it was always going to drive a wedge between them.

Now he could see that Hermione had been protecting herself from getting hurt, knowing that greater intimacy would make things even more difficult for them in the long run. You only had to look at how much they were both hurting now to be able to imagine how much worse it would be if they had truly become lovers as he had pushed for so long. Right now he was willing to do anything to get Hermione to talk to him, to agree to take him back. There was nothing more important than this love they shared; there _must_ be a way to allow them to reconcile.

The door opened and Hermione walked out. Draco stared at her, his heart pounding with the joy of seeing her and the terror of what was to follow. Had Professor Snape managed to convince her to hear him out? She had been crying. He could tell that from her red-rimmed eyes and a shard of pain slid into his heart at the knowledge that he was responsible.

He wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her, tell her that everything would be all right, but he couldn't do it. Not because they were in public and might get caught — at the moment he didn't care about that, and if that was all that was stopping him he would do it in a heartbeat. But he didn't want to try and then have Hermione reject him. That would break his heart.

'I am so sorry, my love,' he said quietly, his voice almost breaking with emotion. 'I know you're angry and disappointed with me and you've got every right to be, Hermione. I was a bloody idiot, I freely admit it. But please, give me a chance. Let me apologise to you and try to explain.'

Hermione just stared back at him without speaking. Draco could feel his heartbeat increase so much he wondered whether he might have a heart attack. A ball of ice settled in his stomach as he waited for her to say something.

'Please,' he begged, the misery showing on his face.

Hermione gave a single nod of agreement and motioned back towards the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Draco wondered where she was taking him, then realised that Hermione intended to talk to him on the way to the greenhouses. He frowned. There wasn't a problem with that generally — they usually walked to all their classes together, talking about the project as they went, but this wasn't something he wanted to discuss with other people around. He had already hurt Hermione once and he was fairly certain that talking about it was going to be painful for both of them. They needed to go somewhere they could be alone, somewhere they could talk and probably cry, and hopefully, eventually, hold each other and make up.

'Shouldn't we go somewhere a bit more private?' he asked as they crossed the Entrance Hall heading toward the front door.

Hermione turned her head to look at him. Her voice was weary and resigned as she answered. 'Why? I'm sure you can say what you need to in the time it takes to walk down to the greenhouses.'

'But we both need to talk,' Draco said. 'I didn't listen to you last night and I should have done. You need to tell me what you were going to say before I made a prat of myself — and I need to explain to you why I lost my temper and did such stupid things. I don't think it's something we're going to want to say with other people around, is it?'

Hermione's face was stern as she stared at him. 'We don't have any choice, Draco. If we don't go now we'll be late for class.'

'Then let's not go. Let's skip it and go somewhere more private instead. We can talk there and sort everything out,' Draco suggested.

Hermione shook her head and replied tartly, 'I'm not missing Herbology because of you, Draco. I'm far enough behind with my revision already, and I couldn't concentrate in Arithmancy because of all this so now I'm behind in that, too. I can't afford to miss anything else. Either you explain on the way to the greenhouses or don't bother, it's up to you.'

'But you need to talk as well,' Draco pointed out. 'There won't be time for both of us to speak.'

Hermione sighed loudly, her voice dull and unenthusiastic now. 'You talk on the way down. I'll think about what you said during the lesson. I'll talk to you on the way back up to the castle, then you can think about it while you're in the lab prepping the stuff for the potion.'

Draco's heart fluttered happily at Hermione's mention of the Potions project. Was she going to forgive him after all?

'You'll still work on the project with me, then?' he asked, sounding more hopeful than before.

Hermione stopped halfway down the stairs and focussed intently on Draco. 'I have no choice. Professor Snape told me that if we're not both working on the project when he comes to check on us after school we'll both be in detention every day until the end of term, and he will no doubt take great pains to ensure that it cuts into the revision time for our other exams . . . and he'll fail us for Potions and withdraw us from the exam.'

Draco looked horrified at the implication of her words, his heart sinking once more as he realised she was joining him under duress, not because she wanted to.

'But he can't do that, can he?' he asked quietly.

Hermione gave a bitter laugh. 'This is Professor Snape we're talking about, Draco. He can do whatever he damn well pleases. It would probably make his day to see me fail. He's always hated me.'

Draco's heart soared stoutly at her words and he felt adamant that he would do anything he had to in order to make sure Hermione passed her exam. He was aware that his Head of House was more than capable of being malicious to Hermione when he wanted, he had done it several times over the years and usually to protect Draco, now he thought about it. He didn't want Professor Snape failing Hermione because of his stupidity and selfishness; it wasn't fair.

Determined now, he said, 'Well, we're not going to fail, are we? We're going to finish the project and get an Outstanding mark.'

'I haven't forgiven you for what you said . . . what you _did_,' Hermione said with a dismissive shrug. She still looked hurt. 'But we do need to get the project completed, so I have to work with you. If you want to apologise and explain, then go ahead. But don't expect me to be jumping up and down and happy about what you're saying.'

'I'm not going to stop apologising until you accept it,' Draco told her. 'I love you, Hermione, and I need you to know that I mean it . . . and that I know I'm a complete knob.'

'I suggest you talk fast, then,' Hermione said as she resumed walking. 

* * *

Hermione spent the whole of Herbology thinking about what Draco told her on the walk to the greenhouses. She had to admit he had been thorough and heartfelt in his apology. She felt tears welling up as he talked about his night with Pansy and understood why he had wanted to go somewhere less populated to have the conversation. But it was vital that she go to Herbology, she needed to try to keep a grasp on her sanity that was slowly slipping away as her revision time was diminished ever further. So she kept walking and blinked back the tears, determined not to let them overwhelm her however hurtful the things were that Draco admitted to.

After spending the entire lesson ignoring Harry and Ron's concerned looks and not concentrating on her work at all but instead, thinking about what Draco had told her, Hermione took her turn at talking on the way back up to the castle, finally getting her chance to properly explain the issues that had stopped her from becoming intimate with him, both with regards to his allegiance to Voldemort and the fact that any relationship between them could never go much further than it already had.

She knew it left Draco plenty to think about in return. He had told her that he loved her several more times, and although she never said it back, still hurt at his betrayal, she was aware that he knew her feelings for him ran as deep as his for her. He had heard the words that had slipped from her mouth during the argument, without her even realising at the time that she had said them.

Hermione was still angry with Draco, that wasn't going to go away quickly nor would the dull, aching pain she still felt about him shagging Pansy. But she honestly did believe Draco was sorry, for what he had both said and done and that was enough for her to agree to work on the project with him. She wasn't sure it was going to be enough for anything else, but they would see what happened as their work together progressed. With the exams so close now she really didn't have time to think about much else anyway.

She headed for the Potions lab, where hopefully Draco had started brewing the potion. She sped up as she remembered Professor Snape's warning. She had to be there when he arrived to check on them, otherwise any reconciliation between her and Draco would be completely wasted.

Draco chanced a smile in her direction when she entered the room. He was stirring a steaming cauldron, having taken her warning not to wait to heart. Hermione was pleased with this as it meant he really had been listening, and hopefully not just to her advice about the project. She gave him a wan smile in return as she dumped her bag on a spare workbench.

'I take it Professor Snape hasn't been round yet?' she asked worriedly.

'Not yet. But I'm sure he would give us a little bit of breathing space. He's not going to turn up straight away,' Draco replied soothingly as he continued stirring.

'Where have you got to?' Hermione asked him interestedly as she took the project notebook out of her bag along with her quill and ink.

'I've only just started brewing.' Draco looked at his watch. 'I added the bat blood and the valerian root, then after six stirs counter-clockwise and half a turn clockwise I added the armadillo bile and aconite. I've been stirring it for ten minutes now. I have another four to go and then we add the beetle eyes.' He gestured to a bowl containing hundreds of tiny gleaming black spheres. 'Two scoops, plus we need to add the ground bark.' He pointed to another bowl next to the beetle eyes.

'What do you need me to do?' Hermione asked.

'Can you take a look at the next part of the recipe, please? I know it has to brew for an hour or something, but I'm not sure if I need to add anything else first.'

Hermione turned to the huge old Potions book that was open on the workbench in front of her. She pulled it closer and looked at the recipe for the potion they were brewing.

'What about cinnamon?' Hermione asked as she scanned the page. 'You have to add that at the same time as the beetle eyes and the bark and you need to stir each ingredient in separately.'

'Oh bugger, I forgot to get that out. Can you find it please?' Draco said, sounding annoyed with himself for making a mistake. He looked back at the cauldron and frowned. 'I'm not sure this is right, you know,' he admitted.

Hermione, who had been looking for the cinnamon, picked up the jar and walked towards the cauldron. She, too, stared at it for several seconds.

'It looks all right to me,' she said doubtfully. 'I assume it is supposed to be that colour, is it?'

Draco shrugged. 'I think so. The book doesn't mention colour, but it's hard for it to be anything else with all that bat blood.'

Hermione returned to the book and began examining the description to see if she could tell whether it was right or not. The last thing they needed was to have to start again, having wasted another couple of their precious few remaining hours. Despite his calm exterior, Hermione knew Draco was having as tough a time as she was; neither of them was in the best frame of mind for the subtle and tricky art of potion-making.

'We'll just have to see how it goes once the next ingredients go in. It's supposed to turn indigo and have curling steam rising from it just after adding them.' She glanced at Draco, who looked unhappy. 'No point in worrying about it if it has gone wrong. It's not the first time we've brewed a duff potion, and I'm sure it won't be the last.'

'But we're so short of time,' Draco pointed out.

'I know, but we'll get there,' Hermione said, trying to keep her voice positive. She was still upset with Draco, but now they were working on the project again she was keen for things to run smoothly and knew arguing wouldn't make it better. If they stayed at loggerheads they would never get this final potion brewed.

Draco picked up the bowl containing the beetle eyes and added them to the cauldron, the little dark spheres making a swishing noise as they fell. He gave the cauldron a stir, added the dried bark, stirred again, and then finally added the cinnamon that Hermione had measured out. He resumed stirring as he watched the liquid carefully.

Hermione saw the curls of steam begin to rise and felt herself relax, the hard knot of tension in her stomach shrinking somewhat. She heard Draco let out a sigh of relief as the potion turned the exact shade it needed to be.

'It has to brew on medium heat for forty minutes and then we add a tablespoon of doxy eggs and the same of horned slug juice,' Hermione told Draco as she read from the book. 'Then we turn it down to low heat for an hour.' She looked at her watch. 'If we do the doxy eggs and juice and then go to dinner, we can be back by the time it's finished brewing and have the next lot of ingredients ready. We really need to start combining some of the other potions we brewed, too. If we start with the stable ones we'll be able to store them until we do the final combine at the end.'

Draco was at the sink, washing up the bowls he had just used. When they were clean and dry he made his way to the area holding their ingredients and pulled out the jars containing the doxy eggs and the slug juice.

'That's a good idea — the dinner and sorting out the other potions. I wonder what time Snape's going to come round. It'd be sod's law that he comes just after we go to dinner.'

'I didn't think about that,' Hermione said worriedly. She had been updating the notes and put down the quill while she talked to Draco. She drummed her fingers on the table as she thought. 'Okay, new plan. If Professor Snape hasn't come by the time we add the ingredients we'll stay here and do our Arithmancy homework while we wait for him. Then we'll go to dinner after we've added the next lot of ingredients. The potion combining can wait until after we've had dinner. What do you think?'

Draco smiled as he moved closer to her. 'I think you're amazing, Hermione. You're always so logical, it's a talent all its own. It makes me think everything's going to be all right — that we'll manage to get everything done in time.'

He went to wrap his arms around her, an automatic gesture, but Hermione shook her head and moved away. Draco dropped his arms, looking disappointed.

'It's too soon,' Hermione told him quietly. 'I can't—' She broke off, unable to vocalise what she was feeling.

'I'm sorry, Hermione. I just really want to hold you,' Draco said. He sounded as emotional as she had. 'I know you're still angry with me and I understand that. I wish I could take the pain away. I would do anything to do that.'

'There's nothing you can do,' Hermione replied, her voice hard. Then more gently she added, 'You should start sorting out the next lot of ingredients. I need to go to the loo. If Professor Snape comes while I'm gone, stall him.'

She hurried out the door, needing to be away from Draco before the tears flowed again. While they had worked together on the potion she had almost forgotten about what he had done to her, but then he tried to hug her and it all came flooding back. It wasn't that she didn't want Draco to touch her . . . she did. She would have loved to feel his arms around her, holding her tight and telling her that everything was going to be fine. But it wasn't fine and she had a horrid feeling that if Draco hugged her she would completely go to pieces, would make a total idiot of herself, and her mortification level was deep enough already without adding that to it.

Hermione wanted to believe that Draco was truly sorry, not about what he had said — that she had almost forgotten already — but about what he had done with Pansy. But the problem was that he had done it, and only last night, and the idea of him holding Pansy in the same arms in which he held her was too painful to contemplate. How could she know he was sincere in what he told her? How was she ever supposed to trust him when any minute he could get annoyed with her and go off and do it again? She didn't understand how she was supposed to get over this, how she was supposed to forgive him.

She sat in the toilet stall for almost fifteen minutes, her heart breaking once more as she sobbed. She was in love with Draco, that was why what he had done hurt so much, but she just didn't know how to stop it from hurting. As the tears finally dried up Hermione considered what she was going to do. Draco had said he would do anything, and he was obviously ready for just that. She had to make the effort too, had to give him something he could work towards that would redeem him in her eyes. But what? Maybe it would be better if they just got through the project and then went their separate ways. It would certainly be easier, at least in the short term. But what about in the future? But there was no future, not for her and Draco. The future was war, and that would rip them apart more than anything else.

Remembering that Professor Snape was supposed to be visiting, Hermione dried her eyes and made her way back to the Potions lab. She was unsurprised to see him waiting for her.

'So good of you to join us, Miss Granger. We thought you had got lost,' Snape said.

Hermione shook her head. 'I needed to go to the loo, sir. I'm sorry I was so long. I don't think I missed anything crucial, did I?'

'Apart from the time that's slipping away to get your project completed, no,' Snape replied drolly.

'Well, as you can see, we're both here and we're both working,' Draco pointed out.

'I'm glad you both took my advice to heart,' Snape replied. 'Now, let's have a quick run-down on exactly where you are with the project so we can work out how much of an extension you need.'


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione stared at the massive ticking clock in the Great Hall, watching it count down the remaining minutes to the end of the Potions exam. She and Draco had successfully completed their project, thanks to the extension granted by Professor Snape, and with the questions she had just answered, she was certain she was going to get an Outstanding for the subject. As she read through the parchment one last time to check that she had answered everything she thought about Draco, wondering whether he was thinking the same. She hoped he was because he deserved it after the amount of hard work he had put into the project. Having assured herself that her examination paper was complete, she focussed once more on the ticking clock, although her mind returned, as it always did at some point, to her erstwhile boyfriend.

She had only two more exams left to take and then it would all be over, the stress of the last few weeks gone in a heartbeat, almost as if it had never existed — although unfortunately, the fall-out of that stress would still be there. With the project finished and so little time remaining before their exams, she and Draco had gone their separate ways, agreeing that revision and the tests themselves were a priority over any possible relationship. Neither of them had the time required to devote to rebuilding what they had lost when exams were hanging over their heads, although she knew Draco would have been happy to continue to spend time with her even though there was now no need for him to do so.

Draco was a good partner for her, and with the exams almost on top of them, his work ethic was now a match for hers. Hermione had briefly considered whether they could be study partners for the upcoming exams but realised almost immediately that it wasn't a good idea. Ron and Harry had been complaining about how little time she spent with them still, needing her help with their revision and she suspected Draco's friends would be feeling the same. They had already accused him once of being a blood-traitor just for spending time with her when they were working on the project, how much more would they believe that to be the case if they stayed working together now the project was over?

But now they weren't spending any time in each other's company Hermione couldn't stop thinking about the intimacy they once shared, and she had spent almost the whole of exam time trying to fight the craving for more. She hadn't completely forgiven Draco for his betrayal with Pansy because the pain was still too raw, but he had gone some way towards redeeming himself with his behaviour during the last few days of the project; he had never once tried to push her into accepting him back or tried to force himself on her physically, and she had come to respect him for that.

It was true that they had kissed a couple times; Draco automatically pulling her into a triumphant hug when the final potion was successfully brewed and again when the project was completed and the potions and paperwork had been handed over to Professor Snape — this last a kiss that turned into a snogging session that lasted for about fifteen minutes before Hermione finally pulled herself away, embarrassed at her lack of control. Draco was disappointed then, clearly hoping that this was the start of a reconciliation between them, but he hadn't put up much of a fight when Hermione asked him to wait until after the exams were over.

Hermione wasn't sure what the future held for her and Draco. Although her heart was still sore from what he had done with Pansy, she knew she loved him. Of course she did, that was why it still hurt so much. But now that he had been back with his friends with almost no contact with her for nearly a fortnight would he still want her or had he regained his old perspective as nasty Death Eater? And more to the point, had Pansy drawn him back into her toxic web as she always seemed to do so effortlessly? Hermione wasn't entirely sure which she would prefer. She knew that even if she and Draco became a couple again they still had the problem of being on opposite sides in the war that was beginning to be felt outside of Hogwarts.

Voldemort had so far held off from attacking the school, despite the fact that he must know Harry was there, but with his strength growing and his takeover of the Ministry of Magic now complete and out in the public domain it couldn't be too much longer before he tried to take out his opponent. Hogwarts was the ideal location for it as it would punish those like the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who had never accepted Voldemort as their leader.

Throughout the year, Harry and Professor Dumbledore had continued in their quest to find and destroy the Dark wizard's Horcruxes, those little pieces of his soul he had hidden away to ensure he couldn't be completely killed. Harry had told her that the Headmaster was now convinced that Voldemort's snake, Nagini, was the last Horcrux and if that was the case they had no chance of killing it until the battle began; if they ever actually could.

Hermione knew that the nearer war came, the closer she came to losing Draco for good. It was all very well for him to insist that he loved her but that wouldn't make any difference when he had to line up with his family and the other Death Eaters at Voldemort's side. Hermione had once harboured the hope that she might be able to save Draco from the fate she was certain awaited him at Voldemort's hands as a blood-traitor, sure she could convince him to swap sides despite his hatred of Harry.

But with so little time remaining before school ended, even if the war didn't come, how was she supposed to get close enough to him to enable that to happen, especially when she felt no nearer to being ready to have a sexual relationship with him? She suspected it would be much easier to achieve if she was willing to let him go all the way, as she had heard it euphemistically termed in magazines.

Unfortunately, Draco's indiscretion with Pansy when he was supposed to be Hermione's boyfriend had removed any thoughts in that direction and would do for quite some time to come. There was no way she was going to get sexually intimate with him when she couldn't even convince herself that restarting the relationship was a good idea.

Despite all this Hermione missed Draco, and a little part of her still urged her to try to rekindle the relationship. There were three weeks left before the end of the term, it was saying, so why give up when you could be partaking of those kisses you like so much, and enjoying the feeling of Draco holding you?

Hermione knew that if she could talk to Rachel about it, her best friend would insist she go for it, would tell her that love was worth the risk, but Hermione knew that part of the reason she was holding back was because she was scared that Draco would break her heart again. It was still so tender from the last betrayal that she couldn't stand him to hurt her again.

She sighed, then realised with embarrassment that she had done so out loud. The mournful sound seemed to fill the otherwise almost silent hall, only partially covered by the ticking of the clock and the desperate scratching of quills on parchment. She looked up to see Professor Snape staring at her, his expression unreadable as always. As she watched, he moved towards her.

'Have you finished your examination, Miss Granger?' he asked her quietly, looking down at the completed parchment.

Hermione nodded, worried about keeping her voice quiet as she hadn't spoken for a couple of hours.

'Then you may leave the hall if you wish,' the Potions Master said. 'Although be aware that once you have left you will not be able to make any changes to your paper.'

'I don't need to make any,' Hermione told him in a whisper, the idea of being able to leave the room and get some fresh air suddenly appealing.

Professor Snape held out his hand for her parchment. Hermione handed it to him, and as he made his way back to the front of the room to join the other teachers who were adjudicating she packed up her writing equipment and slowly slid back her chair, careful not to make a noise that would disturb those around her who were still writing. She picked up her bag and made her way out of the room.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she pushed the door shut after exiting, glad to put the tense atmosphere of the exam room behind her. She glanced at her watch. There were still twelve minutes of the exam left. Twelve minutes for her to get some fresh air and calm down before she rejoined Harry and Ron for lunch and no doubt a rundown of the exam questions as her friends looked for confirmation from her that they had done okay.

She walked across the Entrance Hall, heading towards the door of the castle. A few minutes in the sun should restore her mood to something approaching normal.

'Hermione, wait.'

Hermione turned to see Draco coming towards her. He, too, had finished his exam early and been given permission to leave. For a moment Hermione wondered whether it had any significance — after all, Professor Snape was aware that their project partnership had gone deeper than purely professional — but she dismissed the thought. The idea of Professor Snape playing cupid was ludicrous. She was certain the man didn't even know the meaning of the word love. All he was interested in was getting them to successfully complete the project he had set them, and he had used any means at his disposal to do that.

Draco came alongside her as they walked down the stairs and out into the grounds.

'How did you find it?' he asked.

'Rather good, actually,' Hermione said. 'I quite enjoyed it. How about you?'

Draco smiled. 'I'm pretty sure I'm going to get an Outstanding.'

'Me, too.' Hermione grinned back at him.

'Do you think we could go somewhere a bit quieter?' Draco asked, looking around at all the students who were out in the grounds enjoying the sunshine.

'Like where?' Hermione asked. 'The exam finishes in ten minutes.'

The smile dropped from Draco's face to be replaced by something more serious. 'I know that, but I'd really like to talk to you and I don't want an audience watching us.'

Hermione's heart fluttered at his words and she smiled at him again, helping the slight frown on his face to disappear.

'Come on, then, let's find somewhere. I don't know where, though.'

'Come with me,' Draco said, his optimistic mood restored. He caught hold of her hand and led her down towards the greenhouses.

'Why are we going this way?' Hermione asked.

'I thought we could use Professor Sprout's potting shed,' Draco told her. 'She won't be down until after lunch, as she's adjudicating.'

Hermione didn't look convinced but she followed him anyway.

'What if there's someone else there?' she enquired.

'Like who?' Draco asked. Hermione stared at him archly. He shrugged. 'Well, if someone's already using it we'll apologise and go somewhere else.'

'We only have eight minutes,' Hermione reminded him.

'Then we're going to be a bit late for lunch,' Draco said.

They stopped talking as they reached the greenhouses, although the area did appear to be deserted. Draco pulled his wand from his bag and opened the door to the potting shed, checking inside before letting Hermione in.

'It's all clear, just you, me and a stack of flowerpots,' he announced, sounding gleeful as he pulled the door shut behind him.

'So what did you want to talk to me about?' Hermione asked him, cutting straight to the chase.

Draco smiled and moved closer to her. 'The exams are over . . . well, almost. I know you've got another two and I've got one, but they'll be finished in a couple of days and I was hoping that we could think about restarting our relationship now.'

Hermione looked unsure. 'I don't know if that's a good idea, Draco,' she admitted.

He wrapped his arms around her waist; he was still smiling.

'Why don't you think it's a good idea?' he asked smoothly.

Hermione thought about pushing him away, but if she was honest she was enjoying Draco holding her, even if they couldn't ever really be a couple again.

'You're talking about us having a secret relationship again, aren't you?' she said. 'Which I understand, but it seems a bit pointless when we've only got another three weeks or something at school.' She saw the dissatisfied look on Draco's face and added, 'We wouldn't be able to keep the relationship going once we leave school and I'm not willing to put my heart through the wringer again, not after last time, I'm sorry, Draco.'

'But I love you, Hermione,' Draco said sincerely. He pulled her closer. 'I've never stopped loving you . . . or hoping that you would come back to me. It wasn't me who wanted to have a break during the exams.'

'I know that, but we needed it,' Hermione said. 'I just don't think there's any point in torturing ourselves for three weeks . . . or less, if Voldemort decides to attack.'

'You don't love me, then.' Draco sounded demoralised. 'If you loved me you couldn't do this to us.'

'You know I do,' Hermione answered, feeling hurt at the accusation. 'But I'm also still hurting from what you did before, and that's not going to go away quickly. I can't open myself up to more pain not when the relationship is going nowhere. I'm sorry, Draco, but I have to protect myself.'

'I don't know why you think it has to end,' Draco said. 'We're only leaving school. It's not like we're moving to opposite sides of the world or something.'

'We might as well be,' Hermione told him sadly. 'When school ends I'll be joining Ron and his family at the Burrow, along with Harry.' She ignored the grimace of distaste that crossed Draco's face at these words. 'From there we'll be joining the Order of the Phoenix. Harry has to fight Voldemort and I need to help him. You're a Death Eater, Draco, and you'll be going home to join your family and Voldemort. There won't be any chance we can see each other; it's just not going to happen.'

'I don't want to let you go,' Draco admitted miserably. 'I love you.'

He bent to kiss her and Hermione let him do it although she knew she should be stopping him. She understood Draco's desire, indeed she felt it herself, but a relationship between them now was pointless. There would never be enough time to convince him to join her, she could see that now.

'I'd rather have these three weeks with you and have something good to remember than knowing that I have to spend the rest of my life away from you without us having made up,' Draco said. 'Please, Hermione — three weeks is better than nothing.'

Hermione almost retaliated that he could make the decision to change, that he could be with her forever if he would just leave the Death Eaters and join her and her friends in fighting Voldemort with the Order of the Phoenix. But she knew she couldn't ask it of him. How could she ask him to betray his family for her? His love wasn't yet solid enough for that. But he was right: three weeks of kisses would be better than three weeks of tears and mourning for her lost love. There would be enough time for that once they left school when hopefully she would be too busy working towards helping Harry to have much time to dwell on everything she had lost.

'Three weeks,' she whispered as her lips found his, pulling him tighter as they kissed.

'You won't regret this,' Draco promised once they finally came up for air several minutes later.

'I probably will,' Hermione retorted. 'But I can't stop myself.'

'I suppose we should go back to the castle,' Draco said. 'I expect everyone will be wondering where we've got to. They must have seen us both leave the exam at the same time.'

'I know you want to get this relationship going again, but I don't know when we're going to have time to see each other if we have to keep it a secret,' Hermione pointed out.

Draco grinned. 'We need to visit the Room of Requirement.'

Hermione shook her head. 'Oh, no. I don't mind a bit of kissing, but you still have a lot to make up for and I can tell you right now that sex isn't going to feature anywhere in this relationship. If you don't like it, then I suggest we stop now.'

Draco looked disappointed again. 'I know you're still unhappy with me about what happened before, but I promise I haven't been anywhere near Pansy in the last few weeks and have no intention of going there again. I know it's difficult, Hermione, but you have to start trusting me.'

'I do trust you, Draco, but three weeks isn't enough time for me to feel comfortable about getting intimate with you again, not intimate enough to have sex anyway.'

Draco sighed. 'Then I'm just going to have to spend the next three weeks trying to change your mind. If I'm going to lose you, I want to know that we enjoyed the best relationship we possibly could in the time we had together, and you already know how much I want to make love to you.'

'It's not going to happen,' Hermione assured him.

'You don't know that.'

Hermione pulled out of his arms, stepping back and wrapping hers around herself as if to protect her.

'Yes, I do. I honestly want so much with you, Draco, so much that I've dreamed about, but while you remain on Voldemort's side it's never going to happen. You know we talked about this before and I explained to you then how I felt. If you really love me and you really want to make a go of things you need to consider that. The Order of the Phoenix would help you. I know they would be willing to take you in and protect you,' Hermione told him. 'We could be together. We could fight together, stop Voldemort from keeping people like us apart. Surely if you love me you can see it's the right thing to do.'

'But I don't have any choice in the matter, Hermione. My family is aligned with the Dark Lord, you know they are. I can't just abandon them, and if I did what would happen then? Not only would I have put them in danger but my life would be forfeit as soon as the Dark Lord discovered what I'd done, and I have no doubt he would find a way to kill me,' Draco said.

'It's already forfeit,' Hermione retorted in frustration. 'As soon as the Dark Lord discovered your thoughts about me you were doomed as a blood-traitor. I told you that at the time. What do you think he'll do to you when you join him? He's not going to let you live just because your family is close to him. He'll want to scare his Death Eaters into obeying him.

'Punishing you for daring to fall in love with me is a given, especially when your father is still trying to recover from what happened at the Ministry of Magic. At the very least he'll have no qualms using you against me in the worst ways possible. Are you going to kill me because he tells you to?' She broke off for a moment to let that sink in, then continued, 'What happens when he tortures you to get me to betray Harry?' Hermione's voice wavered as the tears started, her voice more miserable than ever. 'I love you, Draco, but Harry is the only chance I have of continuing to live in the wizarding world. If you can't see that, then there's no point in us being a couple because you're never going to understand where I'm coming from.'

'You want me to give up everything I am for you and yet you offer nothing in return, Hermione. How can I leave my family, especially if, as you say, the Dark Lord already has me marked? They need me . . . my mother needs me. I might be a blood-traitor because of you but I can't give up my family. It's not going to happen.'

'How do you think your mother would feel if you died or if you were tortured by that madman to make me do something I could never do? If you honestly still believe in all that Pure-blood supremacist crap, then _fine_, go and join your family and forget that we ever had anything between us except hatred and disdain.

'But if you no longer believe that I'm a Mudblood and you understand that Muggle-borns have as much right to exist in the wizarding world as everyone else does, then I'm asking you to stand up for yourself and make your own decisions . . . not blindly follow your father. This world is full of people who believe as I do, that's why we're fighting, but only you can know whether you truly believe in what you're fighting for, Draco.

'How can you say you love me and then join Voldemort in trying to wipe out people like me? It makes no sense, and I can't be in a relationship with you if you really do believe what that madman says. How could I?'

'It's easy for you because you've got nothing to lose,' Draco retorted coldly. 'My whole family are over there, and although I understand what you're saying and I believe you're probably right, I have to stand or fall with them. It's expected of me. It's not fair of _you_ to expect me to give up everything to help someone I can't even stand on the vague off-chance I might get a shag out of it.'

'If you're only interested in me for the sex then you can go away now,' Hermione replied, the tears now flowing freely. 'I will _never_ sleep with you as long as you're on Voldemort's side. I don't even want you touching me if that's how you really feel. Anyway, all your family didn't stand on the same side as Voldemort. I've seen the Black family tree with all those people crossed off it. Sirius was completely against Voldemort, and your aunt Andromeda—'

'Blood-traitors,' Draco said dismissively, his nose wrinkled in disdain.

'Just as you are,' Hermione reminded him, her voice quiet. 'You're a blood-traitor now, too whether you like it or not, and nothing you do will ever change that as far as the Dark Lord is concerned.'

'You ask too much of me, Hermione,' Draco said.

'And you don't think you ask too much of me?' Hermione stared at him as she asked the question.

'I just want what I was promised,' Draco said bitterly, 'what you told me I would get.'

'I never said I would have sex with you, not once,' Hermione told him unhappily.

'No, you were very clever with what you said, weren't you, Hermione? You made me _think_ I was going to have a sexual relationship with you in order to save yourself . . . but all I ever get from you is frustration and disappointment.'

'Why can't you understand that I need you to not be a Death Eater?' Hermione pleaded. 'I love you, Draco, I freely admit that but I can't stay with you if you're not willing to make the move. It's not like I could join you, is it? And you're wrong about me having nothing to lose. I've already lost my parents. I know that Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to torture or kill them the same way he will with you but I'm not willing to put them through that risk so I've removed their memories of me and sent them far away where they don't even know they've got a daughter. I've put a charm on Rachel and her family, too, so they don't remember me either, just in case Voldemort picked up on her as well.'

Draco stared at her in surprise then held out his arms to offer her a hug. 'Hermione, I'm so sorry.'

Hermione shook her head. 'I don't want to hear it, Draco. The bottom line is that if you really loved me you wouldn't be able to let Voldemort do the things he wants to do, regardless of who else is on his side. Be honest with yourself: you just want sex and you've convinced yourself you love me in order to try to make me believe it, too. But it's not true, so go back to your Death Eater friends and Pansy and try not to feel too bad when Voldemort orders you to kill me.'

Before Draco could say anything else to her, and more hurt than ever, Hermione ran for the door, the tears streaming down her cheeks like rain. Draco watched her go, feeling like he had been slapped hard, especially with her final words.

His heart constricted with pain and the urge to hit something rose in him like a wave. He looked around and spotted a large unopened sack of fertiliser. He thumped it hard and felt a little better so he did it again several more times, needing to get the anger out before he did something incredibly stupid, something he would probably end up regretting for the rest of his life.

Draco rubbed his sore knuckles once he had calmed down enough to stop pummelling the sack. He couldn't decide whether he was more angry or hurt by what had just happened. Hermione wasn't the only one affected by his stupidity with Pansy — he had hurt himself more badly than she obviously realised, and her refusal to continue with their relationship in the aftermath caused a pain that he had only just recently managed to get under control.

But his hopes that he had finally done enough to get them back together were dashed and he was back where he started . . . no, he was worse off than when he had started, because at least then he had hated Hermione and couldn't have cared less what happened to her. Now he was in love with her and cared about her more than his own life. He had become a blood-traitor for her and she had thrown it back in his face and left him.

He looked at the fertiliser that was spilling from the split bag. He needed to do something about that so Professor Sprout didn't know anyone had been in here. He pulled his wand from his bag and repaired the sack, then without so much as a backward glance he left the potting shed, locking it with his wand. He stuffed his wand roughly back into his bag, still annoyed.

As he walked slowly back up towards the castle he examined his feelings, trying to establish whether Hermione was right in her assertion that he had only convinced himself he loved her because he wanted to get her into bed. While it was true that he did want to make love to her and would quite happily use any means at his disposal to make that happen, Draco didn't believe that what he felt for Hermione wasn't love. It hurt too much to be anything else. But the only way it seemed he could convince her of that would be to do the one thing he couldn't do.

As a Muggle-born, Hermione had no idea how important family was in the wizarding world, although Draco had to admit he hadn't been thinking clearly when he fell in love with her. Whatever happened between the two of them, and however far things might have gone sexually, he would never be able to marry her; his parents would make sure of that. They wanted him to marry a "nice" Pure-blood girl like Pansy, even if it made him unhappy. Blood and breeding were more important than anything as far as they were concerned.

Even if Hermione and her friends got their way and the Dark Lord was defeated there was no way his father would change his mind about a non-Pure-blood being admitted to the family, even if his mother might conceivably be open to such a proposition. He had been an idiot to become so involved with her and knew now that he should have just kept his distance but he had found her so easy to get along with and he had ended up making a fool of himself, not once but twice.

Draco was under no illusions. He knew this latest argument had hurt Hermione every bit as much as the previous one and the stupid thing was that it was about the same bloody thing. Nothing had changed except that he still had his mistake with Pansy to live down and the knowledge that he was going to have to spend the next three most miserable weeks of his life watching the girl he loved grow further away from him.

It wasn't even like he could keep out of her way. They shared almost all the same classes and they sat opposite each other in the Great Hall, even if they were at different tables. Hermione Granger would be everywhere he went. It was going to be a nightmare knowing that she was almost close enough to touch . . . and kiss . . . yet further away from him than she had ever been.

The one thing he had to do, he told himself, was to keep his temper. There was no way he wanted a repeat of their previous argument and its fatal aftermath, even if there was no chance of him and Hermione ever getting back together.


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione felt her stomach roil as she descended the stairs from the girls' dormitories to join Harry and Ron. Although she knew she had no choice, she really didn't want to go to breakfast because Draco would be there, and seeing him would only make her heart break all over again. This was the fourth day since he had refused to join her in the Order of the Phoenix and the pain wasn't decreasing at all. All Hermione could do was count down the long, miserable days until the end of school, when hopefully she would never have to see Draco Malfoy again.

It didn't help that they shared almost all the same lessons so she was unable to keep away from him and every time she entered the Great Hall her heart sank at the thought that she would have to face him throughout the meal. But she had sat in the same seat for seven years now and there was no way she could change places at this late stage without having to answer some extremely awkward questions from Harry and Ron — and now was not the time to admit to having had a relationship with their worst enemy.

Although she was disappointed in Draco and his refusal to even consider what she was offering, Hermione was mainly annoyed with herself. She couldn't believe she had allowed herself to trust him again after he had broken her heart the first time; that she had opened herself up to him and once again shared her fears and hopes for the future as if he would understand and agree.

Instead, Draco had shredded what was left of her already severely battered heart and she wasn't certain she would ever recover. At the moment she just wanted to flee Hogwarts, to hide away where she could let the pain overwhelm her, but she couldn't even run away and go home. She no longer had a home thanks to Voldemort and his despicable plans, so she had no choice but to stay and suffer the pain that constant contact with Draco brought.

Hermione had found herself becoming hysterical on several occasions and worked hard to stop it from showing, especially around her friends, but it was getting harder not easier as the days went on. She just wanted it to stop, wanted to get on with her life the way it was before Draco turned it upside down with his easy, pleasant manner and his wonderful kisses. As they entered the Great Hall Hermione took a deep breath, girding herself for yet another ordeal. She was determined that today she wouldn't be a pathetic wuss on the verge of tears. She would show Draco that she didn't need him, that she was perfectly happy without him in her life.

She managed to eat something, although it was only half a slice of toast, but this was an improvement over the previous few days when a cup of tea was all she had been able to manage. Ron was regaling them with a story that Hermione was only half listening to as she had just realised that Draco was watching her. Now was the perfect opportunity for her to show that their argument hadn't left her maudlin and tearful.

Still not really taking any notice of what Ron was saying, Hermione began to laugh. She knew it sounded false to begin with, but as she forced herself to continue, making it clear to everyone that she was carefree and happy, she thought it became more natural. She was having a wonderful time and wasn't missing the arrogant blond Slytherin who had broken her heart at all. In fact, she was on top of the world. She was having so much fun that she couldn't stop laughing.

The problem was that laughing wasn't actually an appropriate response to the tale at that moment, especially the sort of loud and hearty laughter somewhere on the edge of delirium that Hermione was doing and it wasn't long before her friends were staring at her worriedly. Hermione couldn't stop, the mixture of hysteria and the knowledge that Draco was still watching her drove her to laugh ever louder until it seemed she would snap.

'What's the matter with you, Hermione?' Ron hissed, breaking off from the story. He was looking at Hermione as if she was completely deranged.

'There's nothing wrong with me,' Hermione trilled. 'I just don't seem to be able to stop laughing at the moment. Probably because I'm in such a good mood and feeling really happy.'

Harry looked sceptical. 'You're never this happy. In fact, if anything you seem a bit manic this morning. Are you sure you're okay?'

'Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?' Hermione asked, her voice just a little too brittle.

'I dunno, you seem a bit—'

'There's nothing wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine,' Hermione snapped. She could feel the tears filling her eyes as they had done so often over the last few days and knew she needed to get out of the Great Hall before she had a total breakdown. She stood up and without saying another word she ran out of the room.

'What the hell's the matter with her? She's even more mental than usual,' Ron moaned. 'I thought she'd be okay once the exams were finished but if anything she seems to be getting worse. At this rate she'll have had a complete psychological breakdown by the time we've finished school and they'll be carting her off to St Mungo's to live with old Lockhart.'

Harry turned to watch Hermione go, noticing as he did so that Draco Malfoy was also watching her intently and he couldn't help but wonder whether her outburst had something to do with the Slytherin. Although it had now been several weeks since the two of them had finally finished their project, and as far as Harry was aware they hadn't had any interaction outside of classes since, he knew Ron had long suspected that Hermione's sometimes irrational behaviour throughout the year stemmed from Malfoy's treatment of her while they were working together.

Perhaps the boy had managed to drive Hermione slightly insane after all. Ron had suggested this on more than one occasion, but Harry had always shrugged it off, aware that his best friend had a bit of a blind spot where Hermione was concerned and hatred for Malfoy, rivalling Harry's own dislike of the boy, that would always make him unfavourably biased against the blond Slytherin from the moment he and Hermione were paired up for the Potions project.

Although there had been a few lows, Harry had always got the impression that Hermione and Malfoy actually got on quite well once the first few difficult weeks had passed, and apart from the odd blip and that massive meltdown just before the exams, when it seemed that they might not get their project finished, there had been much less tension between them than might have been expected from a couple whose dislike of each other was well known.

Harry realised now that he might have been incorrect in this assumption. Maybe Ron was closer to the truth after all and Malfoy had been subtly undermining Hermione all year, chipping away at her self-esteem and leaving her destabilised and erratic, which now the stress of the exams was over was revealing itself properly. Knowing that she probably needed help, he stood up.

'I think we need to go and find Hermione,' he told Ron, sounding worried.

'Oh, gods, do we have to? She's bound to be in a really bad mood and she'll take it out on us,' Ron pointed out with a sigh.

'We're her best friends, Ron, and there's obviously something seriously wrong with her so we need to go and find out what's the matter,' Harry said. 'If you don't want to come then stay here by all means, but I'm going to go and find her.'

He began walking towards the door, shooting another glance at Malfoy as he went. After a couple of seconds, Ron joined him as Harry knew he would. However much Ron complained about Hermione, Harry knew he was worried about her, too.

Hermione hadn't managed to get very far before the tears overwhelmed her. She sat down on the corner of the gold statue of the Architect of Hogwarts in the currently empty Entrance Hall, desperately rummaging in her bag for a clean tissue with which to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. She was already in so much pain from what Draco had done to her and now she could add mortification to her extensive list of feelings.

All she had wanted to do was show her ex-boyfriend that she was fine without him. Instead, she had ended up revealing her instability to Harry and Ron. She cringed as she imagined what they must be thinking of her. That laughter had been manic rather than sparkling as she had intended and they must have realised that she was undergoing some sort of stress; the way she had run away from them would have given them the clue if nothing else.

For a moment she wondered whether she could use her impending breakdown as a way to get away from Draco, maybe she could stay in the Hospital Wing away from everyone until the end of the term. That wouldn't be so bad. If Madam Pomfrey thought she had gone mad she wouldn't think anything of her breaking down in tears a million times a day and Hermione wouldn't have to live in fear of being asked for an explanation of her behaviour as she currently was. She could do exactly what she had wanted to do ever since Draco had first rejected her — curl up into a tiny ball and shut out the outside world while she waited for the pain to dissipate, if it ever did.

Hermione knew she needed to move before anyone else came out of the Great Hall. She must look a complete fright and the last thing she needed was more gossip about her from bitches like Pansy and her friends. It was Herbology next, which wasn't exactly the best lesson for forgetting about her problems, especially as now their exams were over they weren't likely to be doing anything too interesting. They would probably be cleaning up the gardening equipment, which wouldn't do much to keep her mind occupied. But before she could go to the greenhouses she needed to go to the loo and try to make herself look a little more presentable. She definitely didn't want anyone to know she had been crying.

She wiped away what she hoped was the last of the tears and blew her nose loudly, then stored the tissue in her bag. Hermione stood up, hoisting the bag over her shoulder.

'Hermione!'

Harry called out her name as he and Ron spotted her heading towards the corridor where the girls' toilets were located. For a moment she ignored her friends, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, wishing they would leave her alone with her misery. The problem was that she knew they wouldn't. They would be determined to find out what was wrong, so she had no choice but to put on a cheery face and pretend she was okay, otherwise they wouldn't stop bugging her until they had managed to winkle it out of her. She opened her eyes, forced a beaming smile onto her face — hoping it didn't look as false as it felt and that her eyes weren't too red — and turned to face her friends.

'Whatever is the matter, Hermione?' Harry asked gently.

He could see from her glistening eyes that Hermione had been crying and could sense the fragility behind her too-bright smile. Harry suspected that if he said the wrong thing she might go completely off the deep end. He hoped Ron had the good sense to keep quiet and let him attempt to draw her out. As much as Ron cared for Hermione, he also had a propensity to irritate her easily.

Hermione shrugged, hoping it looked nonchalant. 'There's nothing wrong, Harry. I just had one of those completely inappropriate laughing fits and I couldn't stop, no matter what I thought of. Everything just suddenly seemed completely ridiculous so I came out here to try to stop it.' She turned to look at her other friend. 'I'm sorry I ruined your story, Ron.'

Ron frowned at Hermione's explanation but fortunately, he didn't speak.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then said, 'We know there's something wrong. You've been acting strangely for weeks and it's getting worse. You do know you can talk to us, don't you? We're your best friends and we're here to support you.'

'I told you there's nothing wrong,' Hermione repeated blandly.

Harry stared at her for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

'I know it's got something to do with Malfoy,' he told her quietly.

Hermione stiffened in his arms and pulled away from him, looking anxious.

'Harry, please don't do this, I can't—'

'You need to talk about it, Hermione, and that's what we're here for,' Harry persisted.

Hermione looked around her wildly, worried about other people who were now beginning to exit the Great Hall. No one seemed to be taking any notice of the three of them, which was a good thing, but what Harry was talking about threatened to set her off crying again, which would be extremely embarrassing, especially if Draco emerged.

'I can't talk about it,' she whispered although part of her suddenly felt a desperate urge to open up and share with someone else the pain she was going through.

'Whatever it is it's tearing you apart,' Ron said. 'We can't let that happen to you. Tell us what's happened and we can help you.'

'I don't see how,' Hermione replied miserably.

'Well, until we know what's wrong, neither do we,' Harry said sensibly. 'But tell us and we'll find a way to help you.'

'There's nothing you can do . . . there's nothing anyone can do. It's too late so there's no point in talking about it,' Hermione said.

'I don't believe that,' Harry told her. He stared at Hermione's miserable face as he tried to work out how to get her to talk. 'If nothing else, talking about it will get it out of your system and that'll help you feel better. Please, Hermione, we really want to help.'

Hermione could feel the tears welling again, this time at the kindness of her friends who had stood by her through thick and thin. For a moment the love she felt for them pierced the pain that surrounded her heart and she wondered whether they might be right. Maybe talking to them about it would help, although she knew they weren't going to like what she had to say.

'I fell in love with him,' Hermione admitted her voice just above a whisper, not looking at either of her friends. 'Draco, I mean. I fell completely and utterly in love with him.'

Ron looked horrified at her sudden confession. 'Merlin's pants, Hermione. You didn't sleep with him, did you?'

For a moment Hermione bristled at Ron's tone and Harry thought they were going to lose her, that she would stop talking to them and walk away, and he wished his friend had kept quiet. But then she seemed to deflate.

'No, Ronald, I didn't sleep with him,' she replied coolly.

'But something happened between you,' Harry probed.

Hermione gave a small, sad laugh and shook her head. 'He's so different when you get to know him, Harry . . . and I got to know him so well during the course of the project.' She wrapped her arms around herself as she added wistfully, 'I thought he loved me, too, but—'

Harry realised that Hermione was crying.

'What happened, Hermione?' he asked gently.

Hermione sniffed, retrieved another tissue from her bag in order to wipe her eyes, then gave a small, bitter laugh. 'He chose his family over me.'

Not waiting for her friends she began to walk, heading for the door with a sudden need for fresh air. Harry and Ron followed her, looking at each other anxiously, torn between a need to help Hermione and a desire to not know any more about a relationship between their best friend and their worst enemy. They drew alongside her, one on either side, as they descended the stairs out of the castle.

'I don't want to talk about it,' Hermione said, pre-empting anything Harry and Ron might say.

'But maybe you need to,' Harry told her. 'Maybe the pain will ease if you talk it out.'

Hermione shook her head. 'It hurts too much, Harry. I can't talk about it.'

'I dunno why you're so surprised that he's treated you badly. You know what a tosser he is so it's not really a shocker that he's hurt you, is it?' Ron said.

Harry glared at him as Hermione sobbed.

'Ron, I don't think that's a particularly helpful comment under the circumstances,' Harry hissed.

Ron shrugged. 'But it's true. He's always been a git so why would Hermione have fallen in love with him?'

'You don't know anything about him. He isn't anything like you think he is,' Hermione retorted, suddenly angry.

'Well, I know he's upset one of my best friends, so whatever he's like I'm not very happy with him,' Harry said.

'I'm scared for him,' Hermione admitted.

Ron looked at her in surprise. 'Scared for him? Why, what's he done?'

Hermione sighed. 'Look it'll take too long to explain it all and I'm really _not_ up to doing that at the moment, but Draco's a blood-traitor now and Voldemort knows that.'

'So what? You just said he chose to stay on _his_ side so it's not going to matter. Voldemort will be happy to have him and his rotten family swelling his ranks,' Ron shot back.

Hermione wiped away her tears and glared at Ron. 'It doesn't work that way, Ronald, you know it doesn't. Voldemort will punish him for what he'll see as a betrayal.'

'But how does Voldemort know?' Harry asked.

He now realised that there was a lot more going on than he had thought, that Hermione's relationship with Draco ran a lot deeper than some silly teenage dalliance even though she had told Ron they hadn't had sex — although whether that was true or not he couldn't quite decide. But whatever the case, something serious was going on and Harry felt it was important to get to the bottom of it.

'That's the long story.' Hermione rubbed her forehead as if trying to shift a headache as she tried to think what to tell her friends. 'Look, I'm really not up to explaining it all to you now and we haven't got time anyway with Herbology about to start but let's get together after dinner tonight and I _promise_ I'll tell you all about it if you really want to know.'

Harry frowned. 'Are you sure you're going to be okay to wait? We can always skip Herbology if you want to tell us now. We're not going to miss much.'

Hermione gave him a wan smile. 'I'll be fine, Harry. You're right, talking to you both has made me feel better already. Telling you about it tonight will give me a chance to get my thoughts in order — but thank you for being so concerned.'

Ron took hold of Hermione's hand and squeezed it gently. 'You know we worry about you,' he said.

Hermione smiled. 'No need, I'm fine now, Ron.'

She knew this was true. Even just the small admission of her feelings for Draco without her two friends going completely ballistic with her about it had been enough to raise her spirits. It still hurt like hell, but now she was certain she would survive because she had her friends to help her through it.

Ron didn't look convinced but he shrugged and said, 'Come on, then, let's go to Herbology if you're sure you're okay.'

The three of them continued on their way, Ron still holding Hermione's hand. 

* * *

Draco had been watching Hermione the same way he did every day since their argument in the potting shed hoping for some sign, however small, that she was willing to give him another chance to talk to her. If she really loved him the way she had told him she did, surely once she calmed down she would understand that she had to make up with him or at least try to clear the air between them.

So far it hadn't happened, but he wasn't giving up hope. He had set out to talk to her a couple of times over the last few days but Hermione made sure he couldn't get anywhere near her without other people overhearing their conversation and he definitely didn't want what he had to say to be heard by anyone other than the girl he was so deeply in love with.

Although his anger with her after the argument had extended all through lunch and even into his Divination lesson, which he shared with the two knobs he had always detested yet she had so much time for, by the time he came down to breakfast the following morning his mind had cleared. He was now only annoyed with himself, for being such an idiot and losing for the second time the best thing he had ever had. If Hermione really was still in love with him after everything he had put her through — and she had said it enough times for him to believe she was telling the truth — then he was mental to let her go, especially when there was such an easy way to get her back.

Of course, if he was being honest, it wasn't easy at all. In fact, it would be the most difficult thing he had ever had to do in his life. Admitting that he wanted to be with Hermione, that he wanted to stand with her when the war came, would leave him without a family and with no friends either, especially if he had to stand up publically and be counted. But after a great deal of soul searching he took what she had said about opposing the Dark Lord to heart and realised she was right. Despite what he had thought, he hadn't learnt at all from their previous argument, and instead of taking the time to understand properly what Hermione was telling him about what the Dark Lord's victory would mean for her he had continued to selfishly think only of his own needs and rail against what he perceived as a lack of justice — namely her continuing refusal to have sex with him.

It was no surprise that she wouldn't, he could see that now. Why would she even consider someone so selfish? He had thought her selfish in her request that he join her and her friends in the Order of the Phoenix, thinking she had no idea what she was asking of him; but hadn't she sent her own parents away in order to keep them safe from the sort of torture she was terrified the Dark Lord would inflict on him when he joined him? Once again she had been thinking about him and planning ways to keep him safe, and he had thrown it back in her face like a petulant jerk and started talking about sex again. She must think him a complete degenerate. No wonder she didn't want to have anything more to do with him.

Now he had made his decision, implementing it wasn't as easy as Draco had hoped it would be. When he had first conjured the scenario during a study session with Blaise when he should have been revising for his final exam, he had imagined pulling Hermione to one side during one of their shared lessons and getting her to agree to go somewhere quiet where they could talk. Eager to smooth things over between them, she would agree and he would tell her about his decision to join the Order of the Phoenix, a revelation which would result in her falling into his arms, allowing him to kiss her; something he missed desperately. Of course, sex played a small part in the fantasy although he made an admirable attempt to push the thought away. But Draco honestly couldn't see any reason why she wouldn't finally make his dreams come true and give herself to him if he was willing to do as she asked and betray his family and friends. Surely that was the least she could do, wasn't it?

But however hard he tried to get near enough to talk to Hermione she had so far managed to elude him. It was extremely frustrating and he knew his temper was on the verge of getting the better of him again, so he had to be careful. The last thing he wanted was to end up having yet another argument with her when he was supposed to be laying the tracks for their future together. But it was now day four since they had last talked and Draco wasn't sure he could wait much longer without exploding in some way — the problem was he wasn't sure which way it would go.

The one thing that cheered him, although he knew he shouldn't think of it in that way and felt a bit guilty about it, was that Hermione was clearly as unhappy about their separation as he was. Every time he saw her she seemed on the verge of tears, as if a breakdown was on the horizon and moving closer every day, held back only by her final exam. This made it even more important to talk to her before she completely crumbled; he was already worried that she wasn't eating properly, her meals less than enough to sustain a bird, and he hadn't seen her smile once, not even when she didn't realise he was watching her. The loss of the bright, bubbly girl he had fallen in love with was worrying, and he urgently needed to do something to bring her back.

When Hermione started laughing at the breakfast table he was astonished. Days of gloom and mournfulness had given way to almost manic laughter. At first his heart lifted at the thought that she was finally feeling better and that maybe today would see him get his chance to talk to her. But the almost hysterical overtones froze all the good feeling leaving him scared instead, for her sanity. A flash of annoyance rushed through him when Potter followed her out of the Great Hall, flaring even higher as the boy glared at him as if he was the cause. Draco knew the fault was his but there was no way Potter could know that. Draco didn't believe Hermione had told him or Weasley about their relationship otherwise they would surely have confronted him about his treatment of Hermione by now.

When Weasley followed, Draco knew he had to go, too. They all had Herbology as their first lesson of the day and knowing Hermione as he did he was sure she wouldn't be willing to miss the lesson even though they had already taken their exam. She would stick all the lessons out to the bitter end, still trying to learn as much as possible in their last few weeks, although Merlin only knew what more there was to learn, especially in a subject as dull as Herbology.

Although Draco knew he would have no chance of getting anywhere near Hermione with her two friends protecting her, he might at least get near enough to get an idea of what was going on. He would be able to judge just how close she was to cracking up and he might even get some idea of whether or not Potter and Weasley knew anything about their relationship. Telling Blaise he had a headache and needed to get some fresh air and that he would meet him at the greenhouses, Draco rose and followed the Gryffindors towards the door.

He was just in time to see them leave the castle and so he followed, watching as Ron took hold of Hermione's hand. She smiled at him and Draco realised with a sinking heart that it was genuine, not one put on for his benefit — she didn't even know he was there. As they walked towards the greenhouses still holding hands, the redhead leant in to whisper something to her and she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco almost stopped breathing as he waited anxiously to see what she was going to do next, his heart thumping and his temper rising again. Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek, then swinging his hand they carried on walking.

Draco watched as they continued to walk, trying to work out if there was something between them. He seemed to recall that they had always been a bit awkward around each other in the past, and he remembered Hermione admitting she had fancied Weasley; had always expected that he would be the one to whom she would lose her virginity. He wondered whether the awkwardness was because Weasley fancied her in return but they had never quite managed to get it together.

Whatever the case, that stiltedness between them had disappeared and they seemed perfectly content in each other's company, and Draco found himself furious with both of them. It seemed to him that Hermione had forgotten that he even existed, which was bad news for him, and Weasley had stepped in and taken advantage of her unhappiness, the foul git. Was she going out with him now? The idea made Draco feel sick. He hoped she wasn't because she belonged to him, not that lumbering ginger idiot.

Although he tried to stop it, Draco's anger grew as he continued to follow the trio. Their carefree, laughing chatter annoyed him. He couldn't believe Hermione had suddenly had this amazing turnaround. How dare she be so bloody happy when he was still feeling as miserable as sin. He felt the urge to grab her and shake her, to ask her why she wasn't still mourning the loss of their relationship, but Draco knew that would be suicidal. Others in the class were now heading towards them and he didn't want to give himself away, especially if Hermione really had moved on and abandoned him for good.

He slowed down, waiting for Blaise and Theo to join him, leaving Hermione and her friends to their own devices. He had to keep control until he could get her alone, but that had to be soon. He couldn't risk Weasley gaining too much of a foothold in Hermione's heart, otherwise he might never get him out.


	13. Chapter 13

Draco finally got his chance to talk to Hermione after their Arithmancy lesson, which was the only time she hadn't been with Potter and Weasley all day. Although she had kept away from him before and during the lesson he followed her out of class, fairly certain she was heading for the Library as he knew she had a free period like he did, and she was sticking to old habits even though there was no longer any need for research with the exams now over. He kept his distance at first, waiting patiently as the other members of the class dispersed to their next lessons. Then, when there were relatively few people left in the corridor they were currently walking down, he made his play.

Joining Hermione before she had a chance to realise what he was doing, Draco pulled her into an alcove, pushed her up against the wall, and covered her body with his, giving her no opportunity to protest. It wasn't the way he would have approached her if he had been given a preference as it was crude and quite likely to annoy her, and was probably somewhat too reminiscent of the way he had accosted her that time in Hogsmeade when he had intended to take her to the Dark Lord. But her steadfast determination to completely ignore him under all circumstances had forced him into this unorthodox method of starting a conversation with her.

But first, as his lips found Hermione's for a much-needed kiss, he pressed against her, enjoying the feel of her soft body, warm against his. He could feel his heart beat faster as she returned the kiss, almost overwhelmed at how much he had missed this, and he realised that he had an erection. Worried suddenly that she might get the wrong idea, he moved a little so she was less likely to feel it. The last thing he needed was Hermione thinking he was trying to attack her sexually and overreacting.

As the kiss finished Hermione squirmed in his grasp, trying to push Draco away. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she was sure he could probably hear it, although she didn't want him to. She had finally managed to get herself back on an even keel with the help of her friends and she didn't need Draco and his perfect kisses destabilising her again, especially when nothing good could come of it. Now she was remembering their last conversation and the agony she had felt, so much worse than the first time because it had come so quickly after, when her heart hadn't even had time to heal from that betrayal. She remembered, too, their meeting in Hogsmeade when all the trouble between them had really started . . . when their so-called relationship had first begun. She wanted Draco to go away and leave her alone before the fragile façade she had built began to crumble.

'What are you doing, Draco? Leave me alone,' she said coldly, pushing again at the immovable force that was keeping her pinned against the wall.

Draco's hand gently stroked her cheek. 'You are so beautiful, my love. Even when you're angry with me you're still beautiful.'

He leant forward to kiss her again, his mouth capturing her bottom lip and gently sucking on it for a moment, then releasing it before covering her entire mouth, his tongue pressing through her lips to search for hers as he held her tightly. Once that kiss had finished, too, he moved back a little, giving Hermione some space as she pushed him away again. She didn't look any happier than the first time he had kissed her.

'I told you to leave me alone, Draco, so stop kissing me. I'm not your girlfriend any longer. You can't manhandle me like this. I don't want to talk to you because we don't have anything to say to each other. You made your feelings perfectly clear down at the greenhouses . . . and I thought I had, too. I've nothing more to say to you, so go away.'

'So you and Weasley are a couple now, are you?' Draco retaliated angrily before he could stop himself; remembrance of the couple walking to Herbology holding hands making him instantly jealous and snide. 'That didn't take you long, did it, Hermione? Did you give him the same crap promises you gave me? Did you tell him you'd have sex with him although really you've got no intention of doing anything because you're frigid?'

Hermione gasped as if she had been slapped and pushed at Draco again, more forcefully this time, desperate to get away from his hurtful comments as tears welled in her eyes. She had no idea why he was attacking her this way but she wasn't going to listen to him, wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of breaking her a third time. Draco, suddenly realising that once again he had gone too far, took another step back from Hermione but blocked her escape from the alcove as he struggled to apologise before he lost her completely.

'I'm so sorry, Hermione,' he said immediately, his voice full of remorse. He shook his head. 'I just don't know what's wrong with me. It doesn't matter what I say or do, I always end up hurting you even though that's the last thing I ever want to do. Gods, I'm a bloody idiot . . . and to be honest, I'm jealous.' He sighed loudly. 'I understand why you said we can't be together . . . but it tore me apart just as much as it did you, even if you don't believe that. I thought you loved me like I love you . . . and like you said you did, but it seems I was wrong. Only a few days apart and you rushed straight into a relationship with Weasley. Was that to get back at me for what I did with Pansy or just to make me jealous? Whichever it was, you certainly succeeded.'

Hermione stared at him in confusion. 'What _are_ you talking about, Draco? I haven't done anything with anyone. I've just been trying to carry on with my life, get my exams finished, and forget what _you_ did to _me_. I don't know what you think you saw but you're very wrong. I haven't done anything to try to hurt you.'

'I saw you with him,' Draco accused. 'I saw you walking to Herbology class holding hands and laughing and joking. I don't suppose you even saw me; you were busy having too much fun with _him_.'

Hermione frowned, then remembered her conversation with her friends after breakfast. Ron had held her hand, she remembered now. Had it really seemed to Draco that she and Ron were a couple because of something so innocent? For a moment her heart soared, thinking that she had finally managed to do what she had set out to do and convince him that she didn't care about him. Then she thought about his comments to her because of it and she was brought down to earth with a bump.

'There's nothing going on between me and Ronald,' she told Draco. Before he could respond she added quickly, 'He's just my friend and he was trying to make me feel better because I was having trouble being happy this morning.'

'I saw you holding hands,' Draco pointed out.

Hermione sighed loudly. 'You did, because he's my friend and he knew I was feeling down and he wanted to cheer me up. If you'd been in the Entrance Hall a few minutes earlier you'd have seen Harry hugging me for pretty much the same reason. But I'm not having a relationship with him either . . . I'm not having a relationship with anyone, Draco.' She broke off for a moment to get her voice back under control. 'To be honest, I'm not really in the market for a boyfriend at the moment. My heart is too shattered to even consider it. I think it's better that I just concentrate on helping Harry prepare for war.'

'I've missed you so much,' Draco told Hermione honestly. He couldn't take his eyes off her, the pain in hers making him feel like a real heel again.

'Please don't do this to me, Draco. It's not fair.'

'But I mean it, Hermione. I thought I'd be okay without you, that I could go back to my old life and my friends, but I can't. I'm really miserable and it's not getting any better no matter what I do.'

'Well, that makes two of us,' Hermione said.

'Then we need to sort it out. It's not right that we should both be this unhappy, not when we can be so happy together,' Draco insisted.

Hermione shook her head sadly. 'There's nothing to sort out. You know as well as I do that there's only one way of changing things and that's never going to happen. You made your decision and now we have to live with it, however much it hurts us both.'

'But I've changed my mind,' Draco told her.

He took a step towards her, still looking into her eyes to make sure she knew he was being serious.

'What?' Hermione's quiet voice sounded shocked.

'I've changed my mind,' Draco repeated more confidently this time. 'I love you so much, Hermione, and I want to be with you whatever happens.'

Hermione shook her head, trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to break free. Her voice was full of misery as she tried to deny what he said.

'No, don't do this to me, Draco, please. I can't bear it, it's too painful.'

Draco took another step closer. He could have taken her in his arms again but he knew Hermione wasn't yet ready to accept that, and he didn't want to blow it; he was aware that this would be his last and only chance with her.

'Hermione, I love you.'

She gave a small moan as the tears finally erupted, her body shaking as she wept.

'You've ripped my heart apart twice now, Draco. I'm begging you, please don't do it a third time. It'll kill me.'

Draco moved the final step and pulled Hermione back into his arms, cradling her gently as she continued to sob.

'I've been as miserable as anything since we parted the other day. Seeing you with Weasley this morning was the final straw. It made me realise what a complete and utter idiot I've been. I love you so much, Hermione, and I can't let you go. If that means joining with Potter and helping him, then that's what I'll do.'

Hermione shook her head, unable to believe what Draco was telling her. He gently kissed her lips, then planted another on each of her closed eyes, the salty taste of her tears making his heart break.

'You told me I needed to work out for myself where my fight was, and that's all I've thought about for the last few days. Then I saw you with Weasley and I thought I'd lost you and finally everything made sense. I love my family, but I love you more. You were right: I can't stand with the Dark Lord, regardless of what he might do to me, when what he wants is to eliminate amazing and talented people like you for no good reason. That was when I realised I was punishing myself needlessly. Why should I continue to stand with my parents when their views are so opposed to mine and the one person that I want to be with is ready to help me make the move? There's no contest, Hermione — I would choose you every time.'

Hermione stared at him not speaking, seemingly in shock, and Draco felt a cold ball of ice form in his stomach as fear that she would reject him rose in his mind. He had left it too long, had given her enough time to build a wall against him, and he should never have called her frigid, especially as it wasn't true; his stupid temper had ruined things again. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and before Hermione could reject him he spoke again.

'Hermione, will you marry me?' Draco's voice was soft but not hesitant as he gazed into her beautiful brown eyes once more.

'What did you say?' Hermione whispered, sounding incredulous. She was unable to believe her ears.

'I said will you marry me. I want you to be my wife so much,' Draco said.

'But that's ridiculous — even this morning you were still refusing to leave Voldemort's side, so how can you suddenly want to marry me?' Hermione demanded.

Draco smiled. 'As I said, I was an idiot before and was being too stubborn to see the way things should be. I've realised that I can't have everything I want without changes happening, something you already knew of course, and the change had to come from me. The truth is that I've thought about you and me getting married for months, although I have to admit this wasn't exactly the proposal I had envisaged when I imagined it. But I honestly want to be with you forever, Hermione, and getting married is the first step in that.'

As Hermione continued to stare at him, Draco released her and pulled back, dropping to his knees as he dug in his pocket. He pulled out a small black velvet box, opened it, looked at the contents for a moment, then held it out to Hermione.

'Hermione Granger, will you marry me?' he asked, his voice husky.

Hermione stared in shock at the exquisite antique pearl and diamond ring that was nestled in the box for several seconds without speaking.

'You're serious about this,' she said finally, once her heart had calmed enough for her to speak.

She realised her voice was unsteady and she was on the verge of tears again, although this time for a different reason.

'I've never been more serious about anything in my life,' Draco told her. His voice was calm although his pulse was racing faster than ever and butterflies were swooping anxiously around in his stomach making him feel a bit queasy. 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you . . . to have children with you. I don't care what my parents think or whether they like you or not. I know you're my perfect partner whatever anyone else might say. Hermione, I choose you . . . and of course that means I choose Potter.'

'I love you, too,' Hermione whispered. Her heart was pounding faster than it ever had before and she felt lightheaded as she considered the possibility of being married to Draco.

'Then say yes,' Draco said.

Hermione smiled at him and his heart exploded with joy.

'Yes, I will marry you, Draco.'

Standing up, and with slightly shaking hands, the butterflies now calmer, Draco pulled the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. He put the box in his pocket as he gazed at Hermione's hand, almost unable to believe that she had actually agreed to be his wife. The ring was a little loose, but not enough that it would fall off.

'It's almost a perfect fit. That shows you were meant to be my wife,' he said with a smile. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

'Where did you get the ring from?' Hermione asked curiously. 'I know you haven't left the school for months, so. . . .'

Draco stroked her hand, still looking at the beautiful ring.

'It was my great-great-grandmother's engagement ring. It's been passed down through the family; my mother gave it to me on my seventeenth birthday, as family tradition dictates, so I could eventually give it to my fiancée when I decided who to marry. Obviously they expected me to choose a pure-blood, and I guess they were probably hoping I would make my choice and settle down fairly soon after attaining adulthood. Of course I didn't want it at the time, and I had absolutely no interest in looking for a bride and becoming engaged, so I threw it in the bottom of my trunk and didn't think any more of it. But then you came along and stole my heart and I knew that one day it would be yours.'

'It's really beautiful,' Hermione said. 'But I don't think your parents are going to be very happy when they realise who you've given it to.'

'I told you, I don't care what they think. Anyway, the ring is mine to give to whoever I want and there's nothing they can do about it.'

'They won't try to take it back, then?' Hermione asked sounding sceptical.

'They can't. It legally belongs to me . . . well, you, now.' Draco smiled. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you, too,' Hermione said as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into another kiss.

'I know you do, and I'm so sorry I hurt you, my love. I promise I will never do it again,' Draco told her afterwards.

'If you do, it will kill me,' Hermione warned him.

'Never again,' Draco repeated quietly, then he kissed her again.

After a serious amount of snogging time Hermione finally pulled away from Draco, realising from the sounds out in the corridor that school had finished for the day. She looked at the ring once more, still unable to believe it was really hers, then began to take it off.

'What are you doing?' Draco's voice sounded anxious as he watched Hermione remove the ring.

Hermione shrugged. 'I don't think wearing it's a good idea, is it? Someone will spot it and they'll want to know why I'm wearing it.'

'Good, then you can tell them,' Draco said, grinning happily.

'What, I should tell them that I'm engaged to you, should I? What happened to needing to keep our relationship a secret?' Hermione asked, a touch of sarcasm in her voice.

'I'm finished with all that,' Draco told her insouciantly. 'I don't care any longer, just as long as I have you by my side. Anyway, everyone will know soon enough when I join the Order of the Phoenix.' He took her hand and kissed it. 'Keep the ring on . . . please.'

Hermione considered it for a moment, then she nodded. 'Okay, I will, but you'd better be ready to deal with the fallout when someone notices it.'

'Maybe no one will notice,' Draco suggested.

Hermione stared at him archly. 'Oh they'll notice all right. The girls will, anyway.'

They finally left the alcove and slipped back in to join the other pupils who were walking down the corridor.

'Can I see you later?' Draco enquired hopefully, his mind already conjuring things that he could do with Hermione now that she was his fiancée.

'Not tonight, I'm afraid. I promised I would talk to Harry and Ron, would explain to them about you and why I've been such a mess for the last few weeks. They've been worried about me because I've been so unhappy without you.'

'They know that we're a couple?' Draco asked sounding surprised.

'They didn't until this morning, but my mini-breakdown at breakfast was the last straw. They were determined to find out why I was so upset and what had caused it, and I ended up admitting that it was because I was in love with you. Obviously I didn't have time to explain it to them properly as we were about to go to lessons, so I promised I would tell them all about it tonight.'

'Well, at least there's a happy ending now so they won't beat me up or anything,' Draco said.

Hermione shook her head. 'I wouldn't bet on that. They're going to be annoyed with you for upsetting me in the first place . . . especially when you shagged Pansy that time, and I don't think our little conversation the other day will go down especially well either, do you?'

'Oh, gods, you don't have to tell them all about that, do you?' Draco replied, looking slightly disturbed at the thought.

Hermione eyed him archly. 'They're my best friends, Draco, so of course I'm going to tell them everything. Just as I'll tell Rachel everything the next time I see her. Anyway, they're not going to understand why I was so upset and acting so mental if I don't tell them the bad bits. But as you say, at least there's a happy ending.'

They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Draco asked, 'Can I come along, too?'

Hermione looked at him in surprise. 'Why would you want to be there?'

Draco shrugged. 'Two reasons, really. Firstly, I want them to know that I'm completely serious about you.'

'What, you think the engagement ring won't give them the hint?' Hermione sounded amused.

Trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice, Draco told her, 'Hermione, if you're going to paint me as this awful heartbreaker they might not believe that I really want to marry you. They might think I'm just stringing you along in order to get a shag. But being there would show them I was serious in my intentions towards you.'

'Okay, so what's the second reason?' Hermione asked.

'So I can explain my side of the story. I don't want to trivialise what you're going to tell them because I know how much I hurt you and you deserve to feel aggrieved. But I know Potter and Weasley will be annoyed at what I did and I think I deserve the chance to tell my side of it, because I suspect it's going to differ somewhat from the way you present it. I'm not saying my views are right, but it'll help to explain better why it happened if they can see it from both sides.'

Hermione started to automatically say no, but then she stopped and thought about it. Annoyingly, Draco was right. If she told Harry and Ron about the relationship it would be completely one-sided, and what she had to say would reflect terribly on Draco at a time when she really needed her friends to accept him, both as her partner and as an ally in the upcoming war. Draco telling her friends the same story from his perspective would help to round things out and they could make a far more balanced judgement, which would hopefully be what she needed it to be.

'Okay, you can come,' she agreed finally. 'But we tell Harry and Ron the truth, however painful, and then they can make their own decisions as to whether to trust you or not. I don't want you trying to make yourself look good at my expense, nor do I want any tall tales.'

'That is definitely _not_ going to happen,' Draco assured her. 'To be honest, Hermione, I don't think anything I could say can make me look good in this . . . apart from the fact that I'm determined to marry you regardless of what anyone else thinks.'

'And the troll,' Hermione reminded him with a smile. 'That bit makes you look good . . . and Hagrid can confirm it.'

Draco smiled back at her. 'Your knight in shining armour.'

'Well . . . Slytherin robes,' Hermione retorted.

'They're more practical,' Draco pointed out, 'and not nearly as easy to spot as all that gleaming metal. So much better for stealth attacks.'

'I don't think what you did could be called a stealth attack, though,' Hermione said.

'No, that's true, but next time. . . .' Draco mused.

Hermione shuddered. 'Hopefully there will be no next time. I don't ever want to see a troll again.'

Draco pulled her to a stop and gazed at her intently, his face suddenly serious.

'I don't just do trolls, you know, Hermione. I'll protect you from anything and anyone who tries to hurt you, and that includes the Dark Lord and my father.'

Hermione reached out to stroke his cheek. 'I honestly believe you would.'

Draco looked around; the corridor they were in was deserted. He pulled Hermione close and kissed her.

She pulled away from him. 'Draco, stop it. Someone will see us.'

'And? We're engaged aren't we?' Draco answered defiantly.

'That's a good point,' Hermione conceded.

She kissed him again . . . and then again. Finally, they reluctantly pulled apart.

'We'll meet you in the Entrance Hall after dinner, then we can go and find somewhere to talk,' Hermione said.

'I love you,' Draco told her.

Hermione smiled. 'Lucky me!'


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione was amazed that so far no one had noticed the ring — or at least if they had they hadn't commented on it. Harry and Ron knew about it, of course. They had heard all about the marriage proposal and seen and examined the ring when she and Draco spent the evening with them explaining what had been happening during their time on the project, including why she had been so unstable over the last couple of months.

Draco had acquitted himself particularly well during the evening, she thought happily, and Harry and Ron had been far more open-minded and willing to listen to both sides than she had expected. Although her friends were naturally annoyed to hear about Draco's behaviour to begin with, especially when she explained to them how he had hurt her so badly twice — the fling with Pansy almost causing Ron to punch the Slytherin boy in the face in fury — they had also, which surprised Hermione no end, been willing to listen to and accept Draco's side of the story, too, actually taking it in and considering it fully as he explained things from his perspective.

She had to admit she was impressed at how he had stated his case, happily acknowledging his faults and the misunderstandings about their relationship which had caused the first rift between them without trying to unduly blame her for what had happened. Because of this, she ended up admitting to her faults, too, finally acknowledging that she might have intentionally misled Draco as to the sort of relationship he could expect to have with her, which had led to the first argument.

Harry and Ron were astonished at how much had happened between the couple without anyone knowing and were unable to believe that they had managed to keep the whole thing a secret for so long. They were more than a little prickly to start with, particularly when they heard about the engagement, seeing as it had happened so quickly — at least to their eyes.

But discovering that Draco had saved Hermione's life without making a big thing of it went a long way towards lessening their enmity towards him and they were eventually talked round and began to understand that Hermione and Draco's feelings for each other were both real and equally matched — the couple really were in love.

Hermione felt incredibly proud of Draco when he swore to Harry that he would help him to defeat Voldemort in whatever way he could. Hermione sensed that Ron, in particular, was somewhat sceptical of Draco's oath but she knew what a big step it was for her fiancé to pledge his allegiance to someone he had always detested previously and she was sure he would live up to his promise.

Once back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione spent quite some time talking to Ginny about Draco, too, wanting her friend to know about her relationship with him and the engagement before she noticed the ring for herself and accused Hermione of trying to hide things from her. Ginny was excited for her although she, too, evinced a healthy amount of scepticism about Draco's ability to turn away from his family upbringing, albeit with a little more tact than her brother had shown.

Hermione couldn't help but imagine whether things would have been different if she had been able to talk to her friends about her relationship with Draco as it developed. She suspected they would have been different, but probably not better. Assuming her relationship with him had even managed to get to the stage where he could betray her as he had with Pansy — which Hermione suspected was unlikely as Ron and Harry probably would have talked her out of being with him in the first place despite his saving her life — she definitely wouldn't have given him a second chance. The hatred her friends had for Draco would have kicked in and she would have gone back to hating him, too.

She had Professor Snape and his surprisingly unbiased desire to ensure that they both succeeded at their Potions N.E.W.T. to thank for the two of them getting back together. Snape was the one to open her eyes to the situation Draco had put himself in for her, and it was thanks to him that she had finally managed to convince Draco that he needed to come over to her side, even if he was annoyingly stubborn about it to begin with. At least he had seen sense eventually.

Hermione knew she needed to thank the Potions Master, especially as he was the one who was likely to get it in the neck from Draco's father when he found out about their engagement. Knowing what Lucius Malfoy was like he would be sure to blame Professor Snape for pairing them in the first place and putting his precious son in danger of bewitchment by a Mudblood.

She sighed as she looked at her watch, realising she was going to be late for dinner. As she packed up her books, Hermione's thoughts turned, as they always did, to Draco. She knew he was eager to get married, mainly because it would give him the intimacy he so ardently desired with her and that she, even with the engagement, still felt hesitant about.

But she was not yet reconciled with the idea of marriage, even though she had said yes, and was inclined to wait until after the war she and her friends were convinced was now imminent. She knew part of this was because of her friends' scepticism about Draco's reliability — which she didn't share, at least not exactly — but also because she couldn't help but hope that once Voldemort was gone there might be less opposition to the union from his family.

As she walked towards the Great Hall she considered how she truly wished the world was different so Muggle-borns like her could stop worrying about people like Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater friends. But Hermione knew in her heart that the sad truth was that even if Voldemort was defeated, Lucius was unlikely to change his opinion on Muggle-borns even if he had to keep those views well hidden. That wouldn't make her and Draco's proposed marriage any more acceptable to him, and she couldn't help but worry what would happen when he discovered, as he eventually would, that they were engaged.

Although in one way Hermione was pleased that Draco no longer cared what anyone thought about their relationship and had come to terms with being a blood-traitor, she had become more circumspect and understood better the protection this secrecy had given them, and she couldn't help but wish that protection could keep them cloaked forever.

* * *

'What's that?'

Pansy Parkinson pointed at the ring on Hermione's finger, staring at it with a mixture of envy and scorn.

'What's what?' Hermione asked, pretending she didn't know what Pansy was talking about.

'That ring on your finger,' Pansy said. 'Why are you wearing it? Don't you know it's bad luck to wear a ring on that finger unless you're engaged?'

'Bad luck?' Hermione repeated, sounding confused. 'Why's it bad luck?'

'Because you'll never get married,' Pansy retorted. She looked Hermione up and down for a moment then added bitchily, 'Mind you I don't think you need to worry about that, do you, Hermione? No one would want to marry _you_ anyway.'

Hermione looked blandly back at Pansy, trying to calm herself. She was annoyed with the Slytherin girl's attitude and felt tempted to tell her the truth, knowing it would hurt her. Instead, she decided to annoy her.

'Actually, it _is_an engagement ring,' she said, and she held out her hand so Pansy could see it better. 'It's beautiful, isn't it?'

Pansy's mouth opened in astonishment as she gazed at the ring.

'_You're_ engaged? Who the hell are you engaged to?'

Hermione smiled enigmatically.

'You're lying,' Pansy said, the words coming out in a rush. 'You're not engaged. You can't be.'

'Really? Why's that, Pansy?' Hermione enquired.

'Apart from the fact that no one would want you, you're too young. You're still at school,' Pansy said.

Hermione shrugged and reminded her, 'We're eighteen. We became adults at seventeen, so we're plenty old enough and we've only got another couple of weeks before we leave school for good.'

'Tell me who you're engaged to. Is it Potter?' Pansy demanded.

Hermione chuckled. 'Harry? Of course not. He's going out with Ginny.'

Pansy scowled. 'So it's Weasley, then.' She snorted derisively. 'You can have _him_. You make the perfect couple actually — the Mudblood and the pauper blood-traitor.'

_My fiancé is a blood-traitor, but not the one you think_, Hermione thought as she debated whether to drop the bombshell. She decided she wasn't ready to let the secret out just yet. The longer it stayed hidden, the safer both she and Draco would be. Ignoring Pansy, she waved at Harry and Ron who had just entered the room, late from having to walk down from the North Tower where they had a Divination class with Professor Trelawney. Pansy noticed the greeting and looked vindicated, convinced that Ron was Hermione's beau.

'Congratulations, Weasley,' she said in a sickly saccharine voice as Ron and Harry joined Hermione.

Ron stared at her in confusion. 'Congratulations for what?'

'Your engagement.'

Ron looked even more confused. 'My engagement? I think you've got the wrong person, Pansy. I'm not engaged.'

As he said it he saw Pansy stare at him for a second, then look at Hermione, her smile growing wicked, and he understood what she was talking about.

'My mistake,' she said sweetly. 'I thought you and Hermione were engaged but that's obviously not the case. She was just teasing me with that new ring of hers, probably because I told her it's bad luck to wear it on that finger.'

'No.' Ron's voice was grave and he shook his head as he spoke. 'Hermione and I are not engaged.' Pansy looked triumphant and beamed at Hermione as if she had caught her out. 'It is an engagement ring, though,' he continued.

Pansy's smile disappeared instantly. 'So who's the fiancé?' she demanded. She looked around the room at the Gryffindors, desperately trying to work out who it could be. Her eyes alighted on Neville, who was talking to Justin Finch-Fletchley. 'Is it Longbottom?'

Hermione shook her head, looking amused. 'Neville? No, it's not him. He is a really nice guy but not my type.'

'Is he in this room?' Pansy asked.

Hermione shrugged, having just seen Draco walk through the door with Blaise. They, too, had come from Divination.

'Why are you so interested to know?' she asked.

Pansy ignored the question and instead said, 'Are you so ashamed of him that you don't want anyone to know who he is?' She sniggered. 'That'll be a good marriage if you're already trying to hide him.'

'I don't believe I've tried to hide the identity of my fiancé. I just haven't told _you_ who he is,' Hermione told her. 'I don't really understand why you want to know. I mean, it's not as if you're going to be invited to the wedding or anything, is it?'

Pansy looked furious. 'Why don't you want to reveal who it is? Is it someone _awful_, is that why you don't want to tell us?'

Hermione smiled as she looked at her friends. 'You're the only one in this group who doesn't know who it is, Pansy, so I'd hardly call that keeping it a secret. I'm not telling _you_ because it's none of your business. Why do you even care?'

'Because I want to know who it is,' Pansy said clenching her fists in annoyance at not knowing.

She knew she was being petty and should just walk away and ignore it, but curiosity was eating away at her. If she was honest, she was a bit put out that Hermione Granger, the world's most annoying Mudblood had apparently, somehow connived to hook herself a husband and a beautiful and obviously extremely expensive antique engagement ring before Pansy had even managed to get Draco to commit to being her boyfriend full time. It was more than a little galling — it was patently unfair.

She studied the trio intently, seeing Weasley's mocking smile along with Hermione's blander one. With Harry looking mildly amused too, Pansy realised she had been set up. Of course Granger wasn't engaged. Weasley had just picked up on the joke and run with it, bloody idiot that he was.

'It's all right, I've just realised that you're all pulling my leg,' Pansy announced grumpily. 'Very funny, I'm sure, but it's still bad luck.' She looked specifically at Hermione. 'I hope you never get married, Hermione. It'll serve you right.'

Hermione shook her head with amusement. 'Thank you for that kind sentiment, Pansy, but I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that we're winding you up. It's definitely an engagement ring, so I think that means I'm at least a step closer to getting married than you are.'

She flashed the ring again, knowing it would annoy Pansy.

'So why won't you say who your fiancé is?' Pansy asked.

'Why do you want to know so badly?' Hermione shot back.

'I just want to know who would be _stupid_ enough to marry you,' Pansy told her, her eyes flashing with anger as her temper soared at not knowing the secret of Hermione's fiancé.

'Ah, that would be me,' Draco announced, his voice calm and steady. He had appeared behind Hermione, having left Blaise talking to a Ravenclaw Draco didn't know very well about some club they both belonged to.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation at Draco's indiscretion and Harry and Ron both looked at him in surprise that he had revealed his secret quite so casually.

'What?' Pansy yelped. 'What the hell are you talking about, Draco?'

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and rested his head on her shoulder, no longer caring who could see them now that their secret was revealed. Pansy's shriek had caused others in the room to look at them so he was now dealing with the whole class rather than just Pansy. He could tell from the expressions on their faces that Harry and Ron clearly thought he was mental, but Draco was relieved that the whole stupid charade he'd had to play all year was finally over and now he could reveal exactly how he really felt about Hermione.

He smiled widely, ready to play to the audience. Now he was going to do this he was going to enjoy it. To hell with his stupid bigoted housemates and their pathetic views that were completely and utterly wrong. The only one he would really miss would be Blaise, but if he was a true friend he would understand why Draco was doing this and would forgive him, even if he didn't believe Hermione was worthy of him.

'Hermione is my fiancée,' he said smugly, taking hold of her left hand to show off the ring.

Pansy gasped and theatrically clutched at her chest as if she was having a heart attack. Then she shook her head over and over.

'No . . . no, Draco. Stop it. You're lying. Why are you doing this? It's not funny.'

Draco looked pityingly at Pansy. 'It's true, I'm afraid, Pansy. Hermione and I are getting married.'

'I always knew you were a blood-traitor,' Theo Nott said coldly. He and Blaise had joined Pansy and Theo took hold of her arm as if to support her.

'You're right, I am, Theo. Guilty as charged,' Draco admitted flippantly, holding his hands up in supplication.

He moved away from Hermione in case any of his friends went on the attack, which was always a possibility with the unstable idiots he shared a house with. Crabbe and Goyle both looked their usual confused selves and Draco was fairly certain that they didn't understand what was happening at all, which was fortunate otherwise they might be a problem. He turned away from the massive boys to look at Blaise just in time to see a look of disappointment flash across his friend's face, but after a moment it was replaced by an expression he couldn't fathom at all.

'What can I say — I fell in love with Hermione while I was working with her on the project,' he told the room although he continued looking at Blaise as he said it, hoping his old friend would understand that he was explaining to him in particular. He cut away to gaze adoringly at Hermione for a moment, then looked back at Blaise. 'She is truly brilliant . . . both intellectually and spiritually. She's one of the best people I have ever met in my life . . . actually maybe _the_ best. She made me see how different the world was from the way I had always believed it to be.'

'She turned you into a blood-traitor,' Theo growled.

'She convinced me that Muggle-borns are just as deserving to be in the wizarding world as Pure-bloods and Half-bloods,' Draco replied. He saw Theo wrinkle his nose in disgust at the thought. 'Hermione's stronger magically than you are, Theo, so I don't know how you have the temerity to turn your nose up. In a fair fight she'd beat you hands down. Someone with power like that isn't going to weaken our Pure-blood abilities, she'll make them stronger.'

Theo pulled his wand out and pointed it at Hermione. 'Let's see if that's true, shall we?'

Hermione stared at him for a moment but before she could react Draco moved to stand in front of her. He had drawn his own wand and was pointing it at Theo.

'I know what you're like, Theo. You don't play fair and I know you'd attack Hermione if she went to get her wand out. If you really want to embarrass yourself then we'll have a proper duel once Hermione's ready, but I really wouldn't advise it. Imagine how embarrassing it'll be when the whole school finds out you got your arse kicked by a girl, and a Muggle-born at that.'

Theo glared malevolently at both Hermione and Draco, but after a moment he lowered his wand. Draco kept his trained on the Slytherin for another few seconds to ensure Theo was finished before lowering it.

'It's not worth the effort,' Theo snapped, trying to pretend he hadn't just been bested by Draco.

Draco smiled and looked around at the unhappy faces of what he assumed were now ex-friends.

'I'm sorry if you don't like it but I won't be changing my mind. I love Hermione and I am going to marry her.'

'Your parents will never let you marry her,' Pansy retorted. She looked happier at the thought of the marriage being blocked.

'They can't stop me, Pansy. I'm an adult and free to make my own choices,' Draco pointed out.

'You can't marry her if she's dead,' Theo said.

Draco stared at him. 'Is that a threat, Theo? I really hope for your sake it's not.' He looked around the assembled class, his face fierce. 'If _anyone_ attempts to try to hurt Hermione in any way you will have me to deal with . . . even if she kicks your arse first. No one will threaten my fiancée, that's a promise.'

Blaise looked as if he was about to speak, as did Theo, but at that moment Professor Flitwick entered the room, looking flustered. He was carrying a pile of parchments that was almost as tall as him.

'I'm sorry I'm late, everyone. I had a little problem I had to sort out. I thought now that your exams have all been completed we'd have a bit of fun.'

Draco watched as the rest of the Slytherins moved as far away from him as possible, none of them saying a word although Pansy and Blaise both looked at him reproachfully. He ignored them and moved closer to Hermione, confirming his solidarity with her.

'What the hell did you do that for?' Hermione hissed after Professor Flitwick had finished explaining what they were going to be doing for the lesson. She and Draco had paired up for the tasks ahead. 'I was doing fine without you ruining it.'

'How did I ruin it?'

Hermione glared. 'I was winding Pansy up because she was being so nosey. I had no intention of telling her who you were.'

'Why don't you want anyone to know?' Draco asked, sounding irritated.

'Because the longer it was a secret, the safer we were,' Hermione pointed out. 'It wasn't that I didn't want her to know it was you, I was just trying to be sensible . . . and it was so much fun watching her squirm as she tried to work out who it was. She actually asked if it was Neville at one point.'

'Were you tormenting her because of what I did with her?' Draco asked.

Hermione flushed. 'No. I was annoyed because she told me that no one would want to marry me.'

Draco snorted. 'This coming from the least marriageable girl in the school. I can't believe you listened to her.'

'I didn't. I'm not that stupid. Anyway, this is proof that she's wrong.' Hermione waved her hand. 'But it was interesting watching her vacillate between being convinced that I was lying and wondering who it was.'

'Well, I'm sorry I ruined your sport,' Draco grumbled.

'It's all right,' Hermione told him soothingly. 'I just thought we were keeping it quiet. Now everyone here knows, and by dinnertime the whole school will know. How long will it be before it gets back to your parents?'

Draco shrugged. 'I'm not really too bothered, to be honest.'

'You don't want to get married, then?' Hermione asked. There was a sudden cold feeling in her stomach that she didn't like.

'What on earth makes you think that?' Draco asked confusedly. 'Didn't I just tell everybody we were getting married?'

'Pansy's right, though, isn't she? Your family won't let you,' Hermione said sadly. 'Your father will find a way to stop it. You know he will.'

'So let's get married,' Draco said. He grinned at her as he grabbed her hands.

Hermione stared at him. 'We're already engaged. Remember, I've got the ring.'

'Yep, but I meant actually get married,' Draco told her.

Hermione shook her head. 'We can't. It's not possible.'

'Of course it is,' Draco said matter-of-factly. 'We can do it on Saturday. It's a Hogsmeade weekend.'

'We're not supposed to leave the school, remember? I'm not, anyway, because of that promise you made to Voldemort,' Hermione reminded him.

'Don't worry about that. I think things have moved on a bit since then. There's a war coming and it's probably going to be within the next few weeks, from what I've heard.' He pulled her closer. 'Please, Hermione, let's just do this and then we can concentrate on fighting for the Order of the Phoenix, not on what my father may or may not do.'

'Can we get married that quickly?' Hermione asked. Her heart was racing at the thought of actually becoming Draco's wife. She couldn't believe it was a real possibility, not in the short term at least.

'I'll get it sorted,' Draco promised sounding confident. 'Will you marry me if I do?'

Hermione thought of her parents, who she had sent to Australia to keep them from being caught up in the coming war, and her best friend and almost-sister, Rachel, who she had put a spell on so she wouldn't remember that they were friends. Her face turned wistful.

'What's the matter?' Draco asked.

'I was just thinking about my mum and dad . . . and Rachel. I really wanted them at my wedding. I'd always promised Rach she would be my bridesmaid, just as I was going to be hers.'

Draco sighed. 'I know it's not ideal, my love, but I think it's the only chance we're going to get. We can always have another wedding — a proper big wedding with everyone we want to invite — once the war is over and your parents are back and Rachel remembers us again.' He looked hopefully at Hermione. 'What do you think?'

Hermione bit her lip as she considered it. 'I want Harry and Ron there.' Draco sighed again. Before he could say anything she added, 'We'll need two witnesses anyway and you don't have anyone to suggest instead, do you? And I want Ginny to come as Rachel can't. She can be my bridesmaid.'

'Gods, Hermione, this is supposed to be a secret wedding,' Draco reminded her tersely. 'We can't invite the whole bloody school along.'

'It's not the whole school it's three people,' Hermione pointed out. 'And if they can't come then I'm not getting married.'

Draco gave the loudest sigh yet. 'All right, but only those three . . . and don't tell anyone else.'

'I wasn't the one who announced it to the whole class,' Hermione reminded him waspishly.

'You're right. I'm sorry,' Draco said. He saw Professor Flitwick was getting close. 'We'd better do a spell before Flitwick notices we're not working,' he told Hermione.

Hermione absentmindedly waved her wand and a shower of sparks appeared.

'What were you trying to do, Miss Granger?' Flitwick asked, seeming surprised that Hermione had got a spell wrong.

'Sorry, Professor, I meant to make it rain stars but I missed a movement because I wasn't concentrating,' Hermione explained. She waved the wand again and a massive shower of multi-coloured stars rained down on the entire room.

'Oh, well done, Miss Granger. Your turn, Mr Malfoy,' Flitwick said, looking expectantly at Draco.

Draco waved his wand with a flourish and produced a beautiful bouquet of flowers which he presented to Hermione with a low bow.

Flitwick smiled. 'Very nice, Mr Malfoy and what a lovely gesture.'

He walked away, leaving Hermione and Draco alone again.

'I still don't understand how you're going to arrange the wedding,' Hermione said. 'You can't get away from the school and we can't just wait until Saturday and hope.'

Draco smiled mysteriously. 'Don't worry, Hermione. I'll sort it. I've got a plan.'

'What sort of plan?' Hermione asked, staring at him suspiciously.

'A secret one,' Draco whispered, his smirk infuriating. He winked at her.

'You're not going to tell me, are you?'' Hermione said, sounding frustrated.

Draco's grin was wider than ever now. 'No, because it's a secret.'

* * *

Hermione and Ginny spent all week working out what they were going to wear for the wedding. They still weren't convinced that Draco would be able to organise anything at such short notice especially without being able to leave the school to do so, but they were determined to be ready if he did. Ginny was also sorting out Harry and Ron, both of whom were somewhat dismayed at the rapidity of the apparent upcoming nuptials.

At first, they tried to convince Hermione to cancel, still trying to work out why Draco had revealed his hand in Flitwick's class and suspecting something underhanded at work but when she refused point blank to even consider it they took to muttering about what a bad idea it was every time she was alone with them.

Worried that they wouldn't come to the wedding, Hermione finally sat them both down and explained why they were doing it so quickly and why she so desperately wanted her best friends to be there with her. She was aware they still weren't convinced she was making the right decision but at least they stopped commenting so negatively and she no longer felt like bashing their heads together.

She spent the next few days after Draco's revelation walking around with her wand out, worried that she would be attacked by someone, despite his warning, although fortunately that threat never materialised. Everyone appeared to have taken Draco at his word, and although she was aware that people were talking about her and almost every Slytherin Hermione came into contact with gave her the evil eye, no one dared to come anywhere near her.

As Hermione had predicted, knowledge of their engagement had spread like wildfire around the school and by the time she entered the Great Hall for dinner on that first evening she burned under the scrutinous gaze of not only the hostile Slytherins but the rest of the school as well. Feeling unexpectedly awkward at her sudden fame, Hermione blushed as she made her way to her seat in what seemed to be the longest walk ever, trying to ignore everyone but her friends and Draco.

As she finally took her place at the table she glanced up at the head table, wondering what they thought about the disturbance her arrival had caused. Surprised, she realised that the Headmaster was looking at her and smiling, not seeming bothered by the increase in conversation. Professor Snape was also staring at her but he was wearing that inscrutable expression that stopped her from working out what he was thinking. She just hoped he would be ready to step in if anyone from his House decided to free Draco from what they must see as a terrible fate. He acknowledged her with the briefest nod of his head, then turned away to talk to Professor Sinistra.

'Everyone's talking about you,' Ron hissed as she sat down opposite him. 'I can't believe that half the school is _jealous_ that you're marrying Malfoy.' He looked and sounded disgusted. 'What is it about that bloke?'

'He's extremely handsome,' Hermione said. 'And when you actually bother to get to know him he's really nice, too.'

Ron snorted as he speared several pieces of chicken on his fork and transferred them to his plate.

'I'm sure there's been some not so nice stuff said, too,' Hermione suggested quietly.

She noticed Ron and Harry both went a bit red as she said this, but neither of them looked eager to share.

'There have been a few comments,' Harry eventually admitted. 'It's all rubbish, though, and anyone with half a brain cell would know it's not true.'

'I don't really care what anyone says or thinks,' Hermione told them honestly. 'The only people I care about are you two and Ginny, and you all know the truth. Everyone else can speculate as much as they like.'

Once the food was all eaten and the platters removed from the table, Ginny moved from the group of friends she had been sitting with and sat down next to Hermione.

'I hear you drugged Malfoy with an almost lethal dose of a love potion stronger than Amortentia in order to get him to marry you,' she announced jovially.

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Really? God, you'd think they'd have a bit more imagination, wouldn't you?' She frowned. 'They don't even know what they're talking about. There is no love potion stronger than Amortentia.'

'Ah, but everyone in the school knows what an amazing potion maker you are after your project, so they think you concocted one especially to trap Malfoy. Apparently, you knew Amortentia would be detectable so you created something that no one, not even Professor Snape, would spot.'

Hermione looked half-impressed, half-bemused by this extraordinary story. 'When was I supposed to have had time to do that? A love potion that no one could detect! God, I wish that was the case, I could make a fortune. Who the hell started that story?'

Ginny shrugged. 'I don't know exactly, but I think it was the Slytherins — most of the rumours seem to be originating from them. Not Pansy's lot, of course. They've been far more malicious, as you'd expect considering how humiliated she's feeling at the moment. That one was probably first years who are in awe of your ability to pull Malfoy. First years are a strange lot and they always believe any old rubbish.'

'Well, if that's the worst thing they're saying, I guess I should be pleased,' Hermione said.

'Some of Malfoy's cronies are likely to get hexed once he hears what they've been saying,' Ginny told her. 'It's all been pretty nasty stuff about sex.'

Hermione shrugged. 'They can think and say what they want, Ginny. Draco and I haven't done anything but kiss so I've got no dirty secrets to worry about being exposed. If they want to think that I lured him by having sex that's up to them.'

'But the things they say you've done,' Ginny told her quietly. She sounded quite upset.

Hermione knew that Harry and Ron had to have heard the same rumours as they were looking just as sympathetic as Ginny. She sighed as she realised everybody in the school now probably assumed that she had done all sorts of perverted things with Draco. Her stomach roiled worryingly. But there wasn't any point in getting upset. It was what it was. She, Draco, and hopefully her best friends knew the truth, so no one else mattered. She just wished her stomach would understand that and stop making her feel sick.

'Draco and I have only kissed,' Hermione repeated more loudly, not caring that other people at the table could hear. 'If anyone wants to listen to gossip and slander, that's up to them. I know some people have such dull lives they like to stir things up for others, and I'd hate to stop any fun they're having doing it.'

Ginny looked impressed. 'I don't think I could be so calm if I were in your position.'

'I honestly only care what my friends think, Ginny. We haven't done anything so there's no point in getting upset over a few words. I suppose Pansy's been feeding them her bile, has she?'

'Oh, Pansy and her friends have been pretty wicked in what they're saying, too, but actually, they haven't mentioned sex much — at least not you and Malfoy doing it. Pansy's story is that you put the Imperius Curse on him while you were working on your project and used it to convince him that the two of you should get married. She's adamant this is true because of that argument you had just before the end of the Potions project.'

Ginny stopped for a moment, biting her bottom lip worriedly as she debated whether to tell the rest of the story. It had seemed just as funny and improbable as all the other rumours being circulated when she had heard It, but now she was telling Hermione about it Ginny thought that it might be upsetting for her friend to hear, even though the story wasn't true. If Hermione took it the wrong way it could cause an argument between her and Draco.

'How did she come to that conclusion?' Hermione asked, interested to know how Pansy's mind worked. It was useful to know what lies she was spreading so Hermione would have an effective weapon to use against her should she ever need to deal with her.

Ginny looked dubious about replying but then said, 'She's citing that argument as proof. She says the argument happened when Draco managed to break free from the curse and got away from you. He went running straight back to her — his real true love.'

Hermione's stomach roiled again as she knew what was coming next. The question was, did Ginny believe it? Although Harry and Ron knew about Draco's indiscretion, she hadn't told Ginny because there was no need for her to know as far as Hermione was concerned. She just hoped this wasn't going to be enough to start her friends off suggesting once again that she should cancel the wedding.

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed theatrically. 'Pansy says she knows she's his true love because they had sex that night and it was the "_best night ever"_. Apparently, she was honestly convinced that he was going to ask _her_to marry him, but then you ruined it because you managed to put another spell on him before he could do that. Now she's telling everyone you've used Dark magic to bind him to you and removed all his memories of the person he's really in love with, so he gave the ring to you instead of her.'

Hermione waited to see what else she was going to say, expecting some comment about Draco and Pansy as a couple but instead, Ginny chuckled. 'She's really upset that you stole her boyfriend and her beautiful engagement ring, Hermione.'

Hermione shook her head and tried to look amused too. 'Well, I'll certainly give Draco the opportunity to change his mind and go back to his "true love".' For a moment her heart fluttered as she remembered Draco going off with Pansy and the pain she had felt at the time, but she shook the thought away. 'But somehow I don't think he's going to choose her.'

'No, I don't think so either. He'd be mad to dump you for her, especially after everything he's done to be with you,' Ginny said.

Hermione saw Harry and Ron glance at each other, then look in her direction, and she accurately guessed that they were thinking about Draco's previous indiscretion and how part of the story was accurate.

Before either of them could say anything about it to Ginny she said, 'Well, I know Draco can be a complete idiot sometimes, but I think he knows what he's doing this time — at least I hope he does.'


	15. Chapter 15

'Do you know where you've got to go?' Draco asked Harry.

Harry shook his head, watching as Draco pulled out a map of Hogsmeade, opening it and spreading it out on the table to show him the location of the Register office.

'I don't understand why we're not going together,' Ron said. 'Surely it'll be easier if we all Apparate to the venue from outside the school gates, won't it?'

Draco shook his head. 'It's vital that we're not all seen together, especially with Hermione. I don't know if the Dark Lord is still considering using her to get to you—' he pointed at Harry— 'I suspect not because things have moved on quite a bit and I think he's about ready to attack you anyway so he doesn't need her any longer, but that doesn't mean someone from within or even outside of the school won't attempt to abduct or hurt her because they blame her for my defection.

'I'm sure there are a good few people in Slytherin who are keeping an eye on everything we're doing, just waiting for Hermione and me to go outside the school grounds together before they attack because they're too worried about getting into trouble to try it inside.

'Additionally, seeing us all head out in a group might make people realise what we're planning on doing, especially if there have been any rumours, and I really don't want to give anyone advance warning of that if I can help it. The last thing we need is the Dark Lord deciding to start the war at the Register office because he's discovered we're all going to be there and are likely to be under-defended.'

He turned to Ron. 'I know you have the hardest job, Weasley, because you need to look after Hermione for me, but I think you should be okay as long as you're quick. There's no reason you can't Apparate if you feel you need to, although you need to be aware that doing that will make you more obvious to watchers as no one normally Apparates _to_ Hogsmeade.

'To be honest, I don't mind what everyone does as long as we all get to the Register office safely and without being spotted. Having said that, I understand a few people might be coming along to make sure that nothing nasty happens if my father has found out about it and decides to put in an appearance.'

'Is that likely?' Harry asked with a frown.

Draco shrugged. 'I've no idea, to be honest. I've tried to keep it all as low key as possible but there are spies everywhere these days and my father is always incredibly well-informed thanks to the money he can spread around. He definitely knows about the engagement — I received a Howler from him expressing his extreme displeasure followed almost immediately by a letter attempting to bribe me to give Hermione up. I haven't told her about them because I don't want her worrying, but hopefully, between the three of us, we can get the girls there safely before my father arrives, which is the most important thing.'

'Maybe you should cancel the wedding if it's that dangerous,' Ron suggested.

Draco shook his head. 'I can't do that. It's pretty much now or never . . . at least until after the war and I really don't want to have to wait that long, especially as we don't even know if we'll make it . . . .' His voice trailed off at the depressing thought. There was silence from all the boys for a moment as they imagined the possibility of not surviving the upcoming war. Sounding more positive now, Draco added, 'Sorry, Weasley but I am definitely going to marry Hermione this weekend. But don't worry — I will look after her, I promise.'

'You've made a lot of promises recently,' Ron said gruffly. 'Let's just hope you can keep them all, eh?'

Draco smiled. 'I have every intention of keeping every promise I've made including the one to help you two and Hermione defeat the Dark Lord. Now, are we all certain what time we have to be there?'

'Yes, we know we have to be there by three o'clock,' Harry replied. 'I'm going to walk into Hogsmeade with Ginny in the morning and we'll have lunch at the Three Broomsticks before doing a bit of shopping, then eventually, we'll take a wander in the direction of the Register office. That's pretty much what we usually do so it's not going to seem any different from normal and hopefully no one will guess that we're actually going to a wedding. Ron and Hermione are going to leave later, but with any luck, no one will think anything strange about them being together either.'

'We're going to leave about fifteen minutes before the wedding and Apparate to the road next to the Hog's Head from outside the school gates. That way if anyone is waiting to ambush Hermione it should throw them off the scent,' Ron explained with conviction as Draco stared at him. 'Once we know the coast is clear we'll make our way to the Register office using this route.' Ron showed Harry and Draco on the map the road they were going to take. 'If need be we'll Apparate around the village but I think once we get past the first bit we should be okay. Just make sure you're at the Register office when we arrive, Malfoy, otherwise Hermione will start to panic. You know what she's like.'

'Don't worry about me. I'll definitely be there when you arrive. I'm going into Hogsmeade mid-morning as I've still got a few things to sort out. I should be finished by about two o'clock so I'll have plenty of time,' Draco said. He looked at the two boys for a moment. 'I haven't said it before but I'm really grateful to you both for agreeing to be witnesses. I know it's important to Hermione, especially as her parents can't be there.'

'We're happy to do it,' Harry told him.

'Yeah,' Ron agreed, although he didn't seem as happy about it as Harry.

'Look, I know it's going to be a bit of a shonky wedding but I'm hoping it will be decent enough for something arranged so rapidly. I just hope my father doesn't try to ruin it.'

'So who's standing guard, then?' Harry enquired.

Draco shrugged. 'I don't know exactly, but I was told not to worry about it.'

'Told by who?' Ron asked, his voice cold and suspicious.

Draco smiled mysteriously. 'The person who's been helping me to arrange the wedding. I suspect they wouldn't want their involvement generally known so I'm not going to say who it is but we've got them to thank for the fact that it's taking place at all as they arranged the appointment with the Registrar.'

'I'd definitely like to know who this mysterious benefactor is,' Ron said. 'How do we know they're not feeding your father all the information about the wedding at the same time they're arranging it?'

'As I said, they want their involvement kept secret so I'll stick to that, but I'm absolutely certain I can trust them,' Draco assured them.

'I wish I could be so sure of that,' Ron retorted.

Draco shrugged. 'Unfortunately, I'm afraid you have no choice but to trust me on this.'

Ron scowled and looked as if he was about to retaliate again, but fortunately he didn't say anything.

'I'm sure it will all be fine,' Harry told his friend soothingly. 'And it's what Hermione wants, so that's all that matters as far as I'm concerned.'

Still scowling, Ron backed down, although he still couldn't bring himself to completely trust Malfoy.

* * *

Draco waited impatiently in the corridor outside the room that had been booked for the marriage service. He was astonished at how nervous he felt the closer the time of the wedding got. He was fine at breakfast, although he noticed that Hermione didn't eat much again; her lovely face was pale and anxious-looking as she sat sipping tea. He had spent a productive morning in Hogsmeade picking up the rings and sorting out all the last minute details and he hadn't had any time to think or worry about what was going to happen later.

But for the last fifteen minutes he had been pacing this corridor, a lead weight slowly growing in his stomach as he waited anxiously for the rest of the wedding party to appear. His main fear was that Hermione wouldn't arrive, that she would change her mind and decide not to marry him after all. He knew he had broken her heart twice in the past and was absolutely determined that it would never happen again, but maybe this time she would break his heart instead.

He glanced at his watch for the tenth time, noting that there was another ten minutes before the deadline he had set the others for arrival. He just hoped someone else would turn up soon. Being here alone was doing nothing for his nerves, especially when so many people would be happy to wipe Hermione off the face of the earth in order to stop her from marrying him.

Although he essentially trusted Weasley to look after her, as he was aware the boy cared for her deeply, there was always the possibility of attack from multiple people and Draco wasn't confident of the redhead's ability to cope with an ambush. He sat down on the nearest wooden chair, steepling his hands as he blew on his fingers, the forefingers tapping together nervously.

What would he do if she didn't arrive?

Draco didn't want to consider the possibility but the little voice in his mind kept bringing it up. Trying to ignore it, Draco turned his thoughts towards his father instead. So far there had been no sign of him or any other Death Eaters which Draco took as a good sign. He had half expected his father to be waiting here when he arrived, ready to make one final attempt to get him to cancel the wedding. It wouldn't work, of course, nothing in the world could make him turn away from marrying the girl he loved more than anyone else in the world. But even knowing that wouldn't have stopped his father from trying.

He stood up, wiping his now slightly clammy hands on his trousers as the outside door began to open. Draco's heart was beating faster now, the blood racing through his veins as he waited to see which of the couples had finally arrived. As a tall, dark figure walked through the door and closed it behind him, Draco felt the lead weight in his stomach drop with a thud and his blood ran cold. Panic rose within him and fear for Hermione's safety once again took prominence in his mind.

'What are you doing here, Blaise?' he asked. He was glad his voice sounded normal. The sudden panic that had risen within him at the sight of his ex-best friend hadn't affected that, at least.

'A little bird told me there was something happening today that you want might want support for,' Blaise replied easily as he walked towards Draco.

'What bird?' Draco's voice was clipped and tense.

'A raven,' Blaise said. 'Or maybe I should have said a bat rather than a bird.'

Draco relaxed a little. Assuming Blaise wasn't lying, Professor Snape had obviously sent him here and that meant that the wedding still wasn't common knowledge. He had to admit that he felt better with another Slytherin around. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable when surrounded by all those Gryffindors.

'I'm surprised you came,' Draco said coolly. 'You haven't exactly gone out of your way to talk to me since I announced my engagement.'

Blaise's voice was equally cool. 'No. I needed time to think about what you'd done . . . and why you'd done it. It took a bit of time to get my head round the fact that my best friend, _a Death Eater no less_, had turned blood-traitor.'

'I fell in love,' Draco stated simply. 'I'm not going to apologise for it, Blaise, if that's what you're hoping for. I certainly didn't expect it to happen but it did, and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me.'

'Obviously it must be. I would never have imagined you going against your father's wishes,' Blaise said. He paused for a moment then continued, 'Look, I don't necessarily agree with what you're doing, Draco, as I haven't had your insight into the brilliant Muggle-born mind of Hermione Granger . . . or should I say her knickers . . . but you're my best friend and that means something regardless of what you've become.'

Annoyance rose in Draco at Blaise's words but he managed to quell it, trying to look at them in a more positive light than he was sure Blaise meant.

He looked at his watch again. 'It might not matter anyway. It looks like she's not turning up.'

Blaise laid his hand reassuringly on his friend's arm. 'She'll be here. She's obviously as in love in with you as you are with her. I expect she would also move heaven and earth to be with you.'

'She's running late, then,' Draco said.

'It's the bride's prerogative,' Blaise pointed out. 'It's traditional for the bride to be late.'

'Not when my father and all his friends and half of Slytherin are out to get her. Anyway, Potter and his girlfriend should be here by now and they're not.'

'Stop panicking. It's going to be fine,' Blaise said. 'I'm sure they'll all be here in a few minutes.'

'Perhaps I should go and look for her,' Draco muttered.

'Where are you going to go?' Blaise asked sensibly. 'You've no idea where to start looking. Just stay put. She'll be here shortly.'

'Thank you for coming,' Draco said knowing that Blaise's words of wisdom were calming him down and stopping him from doing something stupid.

Blaise smiled. 'You don't honestly think I'd let you do this alone, do you?'

Draco smiled back. He took the wedding rings from his pocket and handed them to Blaise. 'You can make yourself useful, then, and look after these for us.'

A few minutes later the door opened again and Draco looked hopefully at it, his face falling a little as he realised it was Harry and Ginny.

'Hermione hasn't arrived yet,' he told them. 'Did you see anything unusual on your way here?'

Harry shook his head. 'No. There's no one around that I wouldn't expect to see. It's very quiet, actually.'

'Do you think she's—'

The door next to the wedding suite opened and a tall, thin woman with short grey hair wearing a long navy blue robe emerged. She was carrying a large book and smiled at them as she adjusted her pince-nez. She walked over to Draco and held out her hand to shake his.

'Mr Malfoy, I presume. My name is Hortensia Flack, and I'm the Registrar that will be conducting your wedding today. Mr Flint will be joining us in a moment. He will be writing in the register.' She patted the book she was holding. 'Are we ready to start?'

'The bride hasn't arrived yet,' Draco said tersely. He was now seriously beginning to worry that Hermione had been attacked.

'That's not a problem, we've got plenty of time. There aren't any other weddings booked for today,' the Registrar said with a smile. 'I'm sure it's just a touch of last-minute nerves. She's probably panicking about losing an earring or something, that's what normally happens.'

Draco joined in the general laughter at this comment but he knew his voice sounded hollow, as did Harry's. He wasn't the only one who was worried about Hermione being late. He stared at Harry, who gave a small shrug to show that he had no idea where Hermione and Ron had got to. Draco wandered over to him, trying to seem unconcerned.

'Do you think we should go and look for them?' he asked. 'Blaise said not to, but she should be here by now, surely?'

Harry considered for a moment. 'The problem is that we don't know where they should be. Ron was going to move them to different places in the village in order to throw off anyone who might be watching. If we all go charging off in different directions looking for them we're not going to be much help if they have been attacked and if we all go together we might go in completely the wrong direction.'

Draco sighed. He moved in closer to Harry, lowering his voice as he asked, 'Do you think Hermione might have changed her mind?' He stopped and swallowed nervously, then added, 'I know she and Weasley—'

'Okay, let me stop you right there,' Harry said firmly. 'Hermione is in love with _you_, Malfoy. Merlin only knows why, but she is, and I can assure you that she has no romantic interest in Ron nor does he have any in her other than as a friend. You must know Hermione well enough by now to know that she would never keep you hanging on. If she had changed her mind about the wedding she would have told you. So take a deep breath, stop panicking, and go and talk to Zabini. I'm sure they'll be here soon.'

Draco followed Harry's suggestion as Harry looked anxiously at Ginny.

'Do you think we should go and look for them?' he asked quietly.

Ginny shook her head. 'No. Because if they get here and we've all gone, then they'll panic. Let's give it until quarter past; it's not even been ten minutes yet.'

Mr Flint joined the Registrar and they went into the wedding suite to prepare for the ceremony, telling the others to follow as soon as they were ready. Draco kept staring at the clock on the wall, then back at the door, nodding as Blaise talked to him quietly. Harry found himself following Draco's movements.

At twelve minutes past three, the door opened. The three boys all stood up, hands in their pockets ready to draw their wands if need be. Hermione walked through the door, followed by Ron.

'Sorry we're late,' Ron said. He looked rueful.

'Where the hell have you been? Was there a problem?' Draco demanded.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck looking awkward. 'Not exactly.'

'What does that mean?' Draco growled.

'It was my fault we were late,' Hermione said soothingly, attempting to defuse the brewing argument between Ron and Draco. 'I'm sorry, Draco. I was so nervous about the wedding that it made me throw up.'

'I've spent the last twenty minutes waiting for Hermione to come out of the toilets,' Ron confirmed, relaxing a little now.

'Well, at least you're here now,' Draco said, the sound of relief evident in his voice. He gazed at Hermione tenderly, his heart beating as he took in the sight of her. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever met and right now he was definitely the luckiest man in the world. 'Are you ready to get married?'

Hermione nodded and took his arm. They followed the others into the room, Harry and Ron leading the way with Ginny and Blaise following on. Hermione looked around the functional yet elegantly decorated room as they walked. It wasn't what she had ever imagined her wedding would be like, but then until recently, she had never imagined that Draco would be the one marrying her. She had always thought Ron would be her husband although now she understood he was completely unsuited to the role.

She looked at her friends and Blaise, who was a surprise attendee as far as she was aware and smiled. She felt totally content and extremely excited. The nervousness she had felt before, which had made her physically sick, had receded, thank Merlin although there was still a swirly feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite shift. She just hoped there wouldn't be a problem and she gave a silent prayer that Lucius Malfoy hadn't discovered that the wedding was taking place.

But almost as soon as she thought about Draco's father the first muffled sounds of arguing came through the now closed door. Draco and Hermione stared at each other anxiously, both fairly certain they knew who it was. Lucius had arrived and was trying to gain access to the wedding.

'You might want to get a move on,' Draco warned the Registrar, who had stopped speaking at the sound of the argument.

She looked anxiously at the door, then back at the couple in front of her.

'Perhaps we should wait—'

'No!' Draco retorted sharply. 'You need to marry us _now_.'

The Registrar considered for a couple of seconds wondering what trouble conducting the wedding would cause. She hurriedly checked the paperwork, then looked at Hermione and Draco once again. The couple were both adults and neither appeared to be there by force. They had even brought witnesses, a best man and a bridesmaid with them, so whoever was causing the rumpus outside — the girl's father, she guessed — had no legal right to stop the wedding.

The Registrar smiled. 'Let's do this, then, shall we?'

'We want to be bonded, too,' Draco announced.

Ron erupted as Hermione tried to hide her surprise.

'Bonding! You've got to be bloody joking, Malfoy. You're not doing that to Hermione.'

He turned to Hermione. 'Don't do it, Hermione. Once you're bonded he'll be able to control you. He can get you to do all sorts of things you don't want to do.'

Ron glared disgustedly at Draco. 'So _that's_ why you're marrying her. You want to control her so she won't be able to help Harry when your master comes to call.'

Draco shook his head at the accusation. He scowled at Ron, then turned to Hermione.

'That is _not_ why I want to do this,' he told her quietly. 'I love you, Hermione, and you must know by now that I would never do anything to hurt or control you. Do you trust me?'

Hermione looked at him for several long seconds, then nodded.

'No! Don't do this, Hermione. You can't trust Malfoy,' Ron warned.

Hermione smiled at both Ron and Harry, who had stayed quiet but looked equally uneasy.

'But I do trust him, Ronald. I love him.'

She turned at the Registrar. 'We want to be bonded, please.'

'Well, if you're sure?' the Registrar replied. She, too, sounded unsure.

Hermione nodded, ignoring the sounds that were coming from outside.

'As soon as possible would be good and your quickest service,' Draco prompted. 'It needs to be done before . . . .' He motioned his head towards the door.

'I understand,' the Registrar said.

She immediately launched back into the ceremony, asking Draco if he had the rings. Blaise pulled them from his pocket and gave them to her. In less than five minutes it was all over and Hermione and Draco were both wearing their wedding rings and were ready to move onto the bonding part of the service. They did their best to ignore the noise outside that was getting louder and closer all the time.

Hermione felt a little sad that their wedding — their real wedding — was so rushed, but she understood that it had to be over before Draco's father could get through the door to stop it. She was certain that one day Draco would give her the wedding of her dreams. She just wondered why it was taking so long for Lucius to get to them. Who was out there stopping him?

She tried to ignore Ron's unhappy muttering as she and Draco held out their clasped hands for the bonding spell. She was as surprised as her friends that Draco had made the request and had no idea why he had, but she had to trust that he wasn't doing it for nefarious reasons as Ron was convinced.

Hermione watched with a mixture of anxiety and excitement as the coiling golden smoke cord that flowed from the Registrar's wand wrapped itself around them. She tore her gaze away and looked into Draco's eyes and he smiled.

'I love you,' he mouthed silently.

Hermione smiled, too, suddenly sure that she was doing the right thing.

'You may now kiss the bride,' the Registrar said.

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her towards him, eager to kiss his beautiful wife. They were still kissing as the door burst open and a crowd of people entered the room.

Hermione and Draco pulled apart as they and the rest of their party stared in surprise at the sight of Tonks holding onto Lucius Malfoy's robes, still trying to pull him back. Remus Lupin followed her into the room, followed a moment later by Professor Snape and several other people Hermione didn't recognise but assumed were other members of the Order of the Phoenix. They had obviously been guarding the doors against Lucius and any friends he might have brought with him, and Hermione felt her heart swell at the thought of what they were willing to do for her and Draco.

Professor Snape joined Lucius now and talked quietly to him, obviously attempting to calm him down although it didn't seem to be having much effect. Lucius angrily shrugged Tonks off and dismissed Snape with a wave of his hand. The teacher joined his Order companions, looking grim.

'STOP!' Lucius roared as he came towards the wedding party.

Hermione thought she had never seen him look so angry and her stomach lurched at the thought of the upcoming confrontation. She felt Draco squeeze her hand reassuringly and she glanced at him, his smile calming her. Lucius ignored Hermione completely as he strode rapidly towards his son.

'I won't let you do this, Draco,' he told him.

'You can't stop me,' Draco answered mildly.

'We'll see about that,' Lucius said. 'I am _not_ going to stand by and let you throw away centuries of breeding by bringing that filthy little Mudblood into our family.'

The Registrar looked shocked at Lucius' words and Hermione realised that the woman had probably never had to deal with anyone like Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater friends before.

'Excuse me, sir, but can I request that you not use that expression? It is a most derogatory term and—'

Lucius stared imperiously at the Registrar. 'I will call _her_—' he pointed at Hermione with a look of intense disdain— 'whatever I damn well want. _You_ can't stop me.'

'Well, actually we have rules about abusive language,' the Registrar pointed out. 'The term you used is offensive and you should apologise—'

Lucius looked disgustedly at the Registrar. 'Of course you're offended. I assume you're a Mudblood yourself . . . or one of those blasted do-gooder Half-bloods that are no better than a Mudblood.'

'My blood status is none of your concern, sir.' The Registrar riled with indignation.

Lucius snorted loudly. 'As I said—'

'Actually, for your information I am Pure-blood,' the Registrar told him proudly.

Lucius looked even more disgusted at this comment. 'Well, then you should know better than to ruin a decent bloodline by allowing filth like this—' he indicated Hermione again— 'to marry my son. You should be ashamed to take part in such a heinous act.'

'Unlike you, _sir_, I don't have a problem with Pure-bloods marrying anyone they choose,' the Registrar said.

'Blood-traitor,' Lucius growled.

The Registrar stiffened. 'If by that you mean someone who isn't prejudiced by something as insignificant as blood status, then yes, I am a blood-traitor,' she announced proudly, 'and I don't appreciate your language. I would like you to leave, please.'

'I'm not leaving until you agree to stop the wedding,' Lucius insisted.

'It's too late, Father,' Draco told him triumphantly, holding up both his hands to show off the rings he and Hermione were wearing. 'We're already married and there's nothing you can do about it.'

'We'll soon see about that,' Lucius said. 'I don't know why you're acting so smug, boy. You might be married but it can soon be annulled.'

'No, you can't do that. We won't allow it,' Draco retorted.

Lucius laughed mirthlessly. 'Do you really think I'm going to give you a choice?'

'But it's not up to you,' Draco pointed out. 'Hermione and I are perfectly entitled to get married if we want to and we don't have to ask you or her parents for permission.'

'Mr Malfoy is quite correct Mr . . . erm . . . Malfoy,' the Registrar confirmed. 'Your son and his wife are both adults and, therefore, don't need your permission to get married. The marriage is perfectly legal.'

'That _creature_ is not a Malfoy. I want the marriage annulled now,' Lucius insisted angrily.

The Registrar shrugged. 'There's nothing I can do, I'm afraid.'

Before anyone could react Lucius pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the Registrar, his voice low and icy as he stated, 'I want you to annul the marriage . . . NOW!'

The Registrar stared at him, suddenly seeming to understand how dangerous he was. She quailed under his gaze and cringed when he shouted once again for her to end the marriage, his wand now waving directly in her face.

'It's all right,' Hermione told her sadly. She felt Draco squeeze her hand again, giving her the support she needed to say the words. 'Do as he says. There's no point in you getting hurt because of us.'

The Registrar looked unsure. 'It's not that simple, though, is it?'

'Of course it is. I mean, it's not as if they've had a chance to consummate the marriage yet, is it?' Lucius pointed out as if it was obvious. He laughed and said to Draco, 'See how brave your little Mudblood whore is, Draco? She's not even putting up a fight to stay married to you. She doesn't love you, seeing how easily she's willing to let you go.'

Draco pursed his lips to stop himself from retorting, but now the Registrar stood up straighter and looked Lucius in the eye, a smile crossing her face.

'Well, of course, I can annul the marriage . . . that's easy enough to do. But the bonding might be a little more tricky—'

'What bonding? Lucius asked, sounding shocked. He stared at Draco and Hermione. 'What do you mean, bonding?'

'Mr and Mrs Malfoy—' the Registrar smiled as she saw Lucius wince at her calling Hermione Mrs Malfoy— 'requested that we perform a bonding ceremony in addition to the usual wedding vows.' She smiled again and added _sotto voce_, 'And now I understand why.'

Hermione looked around at Tonks, Remus and Professor Snape as the Registrar spoke, wondering whether they would be as angry with her as Ron had been but she could see they were all smiling. Even Ron didn't look anywhere near as unhappy now he understood why Draco had insisted on the bonding.

'They did what?' Lucius roared. He thought for a moment as the realisation of what Draco and Hermione had done sank in. 'Well, you'll just have to break it.'

'I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that,' the Registrar said, shaking her head. She seemed to be enjoying herself immensely now. 'The bond is unbreakable. You can end your son's marriage but he and Mrs Malfoy will always be joined . . . until the day they die.'

Lucius looked triumphant at this. He rounded on Hermione, his wand now pointed at her. Ginny gave a small scream of terror.

Professor Snape cautioned, 'Now, Lucius, don't do anything stupid.'

Lucius, looking completely deranged, gave a sharp bark of a laugh. 'Oh, don't worry, Severus, I know exactly what I'm doing. Once the Mudblood dies my son will be free again and I'll be rid of the little bitch and her interference forever.'

'Actually, that's not what will happen,' the Registrar supplied hurriedly. 'You see, your son requested that I tailor the bond so that if his wife dies, he dies too.'

Hermione stared at Draco in shock and she knew she wasn't the only one. Only the Registrar didn't seem to be struck dumb by this revelation.

'He what—' Lucius managed.

'What the hell did you do that for?' Hermione demanded of Draco.

Draco smiled calmly. 'Surely it's obvious, isn't it, Hermione? I love you and I want to be with you. I don't want to live once you die.'

'You are so ridiculous.' Hermione shook her head in disbelief but she could feel the tears welling at what Draco had done for her. 'God, Draco, you're a bloody idiot.'

'But you love me anyway,' he said and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him for a kiss.

'I will not allow this!' Lucius screamed, making everyone jump.

Draco turned to look at his father, who was still pointing his wand at Hermione.

'You don't actually have any choice, Father. The only way you can end our marriage is by killing us both, but we still win because we'll be together forever and we'll be martyrs, killed by the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters for falling in love — our blood statuses will ensure that, as will the testimonies of those who are in this room. The Order of the Phoenix couldn't ask for a better boost for their side.'

Lucius lowered his wand as he realised Draco was right. He gazed stonily at his son.

'_She_ will never be a Malfoy,' he told him, pointing at Hermione. 'If you insist on staying married to that Mudblood then I shall disinherit you. You will no longer be my son nor will you be the heir to the Malfoy estate.' He moved closer to Draco, lowering his voice a little. 'Be reasonable, Draco. I know you fancy the Mudblood but she's not worth losing your inheritance over. By all means take her as your mistress if you must but end the marriage and break the bond. You'll regret it if you don't.'

Draco considered his father's words for several long seconds.

'I can't see why I would regret staying married to Hermione,' he finally began, his voice calm but firm. 'I love her and she loves me and I honestly believe we're soulmates. I would happily give up everything in the world for her, as I know she would for me. What do I need your money for when I have everything I want? If you want to disown me, Father, then do it — although I don't know how Mother will feel about it.'

'Your mother will understand what I've done and why. She will back me on this as she always has done on everything. You don't understand what you're doing with this Mudblood. She'll get you killed — you know the Dark Lord will be after your blood if you desert him. He will kill you . . . and her. This is your last chance, Draco. Turn away from the Mudblood. Come with me back to Malfoy Manor and we'll say no more about it.'

Draco shook his head. 'I need to be with my wife and nothing will ever take me away from her. I'm sorry you can't see reason on this, Father but that's the way it has to be. If we die, at least it'll be knowing that we were fighting for what's right. This Pure-blood bigotry against Muggle-borns is completely wrong. The Dark Lord is a madman.'

'Then you seal your own fate,' Lucius said sombrely. 'You will never get a penny from me nor will you ever get your hands on the Malfoy estate. I cast you out and I do not want to hear from or see you ever again. No longer are you my son.'

He turned away and began to stride purposefully towards the door. Professor Snape moved to follow him.

'Oh, you were wrong about Hermione, by the way,' Draco called after him. Lucius slowed down but didn't stop. 'You were wrong about her being willing to give me up and end our marriage. She only said that so you wouldn't hurt the Registrar.'

Lucius continued walking and Draco and Hermione watched him until he was gone.

'I'm so sorry, Draco,' Hermione told him. 'I can't believe he really disowned you.'

'It doesn't matter,' Draco said, trying to keep his voice light so as not to worry or upset Hermione. 'It's his loss. I got the far better end of the deal — I got you. He just got more bitterness. We don't need the money. We're both more than clever enough to get decent jobs once the war is over. We'll be fine.'

He pulled her into another hug and kissed her.

'I was wrong about you, Malfoy,' Ron admitted. He, Blaise, Harry and Ginny had joined the couple.

Draco stared at him in amazement. 'Humility from a Weasley. Now I know the world's going mad.'

'_You_don't even know the meaning of the word,' Harry retorted angrily. Ron put his hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him down.

'You can mock as much as you like, Malfoy, if it makes you feel better. But that was a good thing you did for Hermione. You knew the only way to keep the marriage was with the bond,' Ron said.

Draco nodded, suddenly overcome with humility himself. 'I knew my father would insist on an annulment, and there was no way I was willing to let that happen, but you can see how persuasive he can be when he's waving his wand around like a madman. The bond was the only thing I could think of at short notice that could stop him dead.'

'But now you're both stuck. If one of you dies the other will as well,' Blaise reminded him.

Draco shook his head. 'Personally, I don't consider being bonded as being stuck and I hope Hermione doesn't either, but it's not a problem anyway. It only works one way. I only asked for it for me. Hermione won't die if I do . . . unless she dies of a broken heart.'

Harry and Ron looked at him in astonishment. Hermione looked angry.

'Why did you only do it your way?' she demanded.

Draco shrugged. 'I couldn't force you into that, especially without telling you. I told you, I would never control you. I made the decision because I was fairly sure it would stop my father from killing you, as I knew that had to be a possibility once he found out about the bond, but also because I really don't want to live if you're not there to share it with me.'

'But what am I supposed to do if you die?' Hermione asked.

'I'm not going to,' Draco said confidently. 'I intend to live a very long and productive life. Don't worry, Hermione. I shall be an extremely grumpy old man before I die.'

'You'd better be,' she said warningly.

'And talking of grumpy old men, we really ought to be getting back to school,' Ginny pointed out. 'I know Professor Snape knows where we are, but we're getting close to curfew for getting back from Hogsmeade and I don't think we really want to end this afternoon with a detention from Filch, do we?'

'That's a good point,' Draco acknowledged. 'Let's go.'

He turned to the Registrar. 'I apologise for my father . . . and his unsavoury views, Ms Flack. Thank you for everything you did.'

The Registrar smiled. 'I was glad to be of service, Mr Malfoy. I hope you and your wife have a long and loving marriage. You certainly deserve it.'

Draco put his arm around Hermione's shoulder. She was talking to Tonks and Remus.

'Time to go back to school, I'm afraid,' he told her.

He shook Remus' hand, then Tonks'. Tonks pulled him into a hug as Draco remembered that she was his cousin.

'Thank you for what you did out there. I . . . we really appreciate it,' he told the couple.

'Look after Hermione,' Remus said.

Draco smiled. 'Oh, I will. You can be sure of that.'

The group left the Register office and Tonks and Remus left the others to Apparate back to the school, no longer worried about anyone seeing them together. It was more important that they make curfew. They hurried through the gates just before Filch closed them, all cheerily saying thank you to him as he scowled at them, annoyed not to have been able to give them all detention.

'Let's go and have a celebratory party,' Ginny suggested as they entered the school.

Ron agreed. 'That's a great idea. We can get some food and drink from the kitchens and use one of the disused classrooms.'

Draco shook his head. He was holding Hermione's hand.

'Not being funny, but I'd really like to spend some time alone with Hermione . . . if you know what I mean.'

'Oh yeah, of course,' Ron suddenly seemed a bit flustered. 'Yeah, of course you do.'

'We'll see you later, Hermione,' Ginny said. 'Come on, boys, let's leave them to it and go and get some dinner.'

She took hold of Harry's hand and Ron's arm and pulled them away, leaving Hermione and Draco with Blaise in the Entrance Hall.

'Well, I suppose I should be getting back, too. I'm sure everyone will be wondering where I've got to,' Blaise said with a smile. He patted Draco on the shoulder. 'Congratulations, my friend. You know, I actually think you two truly deserve to be happy.'

Blaise leant to give Hermione a brief kiss on the cheek, then walked off towards the stairs to the dungeons with a wave.

'So now it's just you and me, Mrs Malfoy,' Draco said seductively.

'It certainly looks like it,' Hermione retorted.

'So, shall we go somewhere a little more private?' Draco asked. 'I was thinking somewhere like the Room of Requirement.'

'Don't you think we should go into dinner?' Hermione asked, although she was smiling.

'Not really. I think we should go to bed. You can't possibly say no now . . . we're married.'

Hermione shook her head. 'All this just to get me into bed.'

Draco chuckled. 'Oh no, my love, I want so much more than that from you.'

'But what'll happen afterwards when you get bored with me? You'll be stuck with me forever, and all because you were desperate to shag me.'

'That's never going to happen,' Draco assured her. 'I love you and I will always love you.'

'Maybe it is time to find the Room of Requirement, then,' Hermione said with a smile, 'before your father changes his mind about disinheriting you and starts trying to tempt you to end the marriage again.'

'That's never going to happen either,' Draco told her happily as he led her towards the stairs.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore knocked on the office door, waited a few seconds, then opened it and entered. Severus Snape looked up at him from where he sat at his desk, seemingly staring into space. The Potions Master looked exhausted and Dumbledore could see the stress lines were pronounced on his forehead, indicating that he was anxious about something. As the Headmaster sat down in a chair opposite, Snape opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a bottle of Firewhisky. He also retrieved two glasses, pouring each of them a healthy measure of the drink. He left the bottle on the table.

'Is it done, Severus?' Dumbledore asked. He swirled the golden liquid around his glass as he waited for Snape's answer.

Snape took a large mouthful of the Firewhisky as if to fortify himself, then nodded.

'Draco and Hermione successfully became husband and wife this afternoon,' he confirmed.

'I take it things didn't run as smoothly as was hoped?'

Snape sighed loudly and took another sip of his drink. 'It went better than I had anticipated, actually. Young Draco rather surprised me. He's far more resourceful than I gave him credit for. Lucius did turn up, of course, although I still have no idea how he knew; but the Order managed to keep him outside until after the ceremony was finished. He wasn't very happy.'

Dumbledore gave a wry smile. 'I imagine _that_ is something of an understatement, Severus.'

'He did threaten the Registrar and was ready to kill Hermione, but then Draco pointed out what an error he would be making if he did.' Snape took another drink. 'The happy couple chose to be bonded to each other as well as take the normal vows.'

Dumbledore looked mildly surprised. 'Really? Obviously, there is a stronger connection between them than even we realised, Severus.'

'As I understand it, Draco was fairly certain that his father would attempt to annul the wedding so he added the extra level so that even if Lucius got his way he and Hermione would still be joined by a life bond.'

'Ah,' Dumbledore nodded his head approvingly. 'So Lucius could only get rid of Miss Granger by killing his own son, too. Very clever!'

'After his inability to stop the wedding, Lucius has disinherited Draco,' Snape said.

'I suppose it was only to be expected, although it is a shame he isn't more forgiving,' Dumbledore replied sadly. 'Still, at least they will be safe with the Order — well, as safe as any of them can be once Voldemort decides to attack.'

'Which will be within the next few days,' Snape said morosely. 'Yaxley contacted me this morning to tell me to be ready, and Lucius confirmed it this afternoon.'

'Then it's lucky we're ready. I shall call a special meeting straight after breakfast tomorrow so I can lay out the plan for the protection of the school,' Dumbledore told him.

'Will it be enough?' Snape asked.

Dumbledore shrugged easily. 'It will have to be, Severus. I can give no more protection to Harry and the school than I will already be doing. In the end, it will come down to which side is strongest, it always does. All we can do is try to support Harry in his fight and make sure he's still there at the end.'

They sat drinking in silence for a few minutes. Then Dumbledore said quietly, 'Well done, Severus. You did a good job in bringing Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy together.'

'It was nothing to do with me,' Snape replied deprecatingly. 'All I did was put them together for the Potions project. Hermione did all the hard work of breaking down the barriers between them.'

'It was an inspired choice, though, if I may say,' Dumbledore said. 'It shows just how successful integration of the different Houses can be with proper thought given as to how to make it work. In fact, there have been several successes throughout the school this year. I really am rather pleased with how it's all worked out.'

Snape shook his head. 'It didn't help any of Draco's friends, though. They hate Hermione even more than before . . . and now they have Draco to hate, too.'

'To be fair, Severus, it was always unlikely that any of that group would be in any way swayed by what we were trying to achieve this year. That Mr Malfoy reacted so positively is a considerable bonus and shows that, potentially, had each of his friends been paired with a Muggle-born rather than the partners they did have they may well have had similar epiphanies to that of their friend.'

'Hmmm. I don't think it's that easy, I think it would need to be the right Muggle-born,' Snape said musingly. More quietly he added, 'And there might only be one right one.'

'I disagree, Severus,' Dumbledore said, passing his glass across the table for a top-up as Snape refilled his own. 'Whilst I agree that it would need to be the right Muggle-born for a relationship like Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger's to occur, even had there been no romance between them there would have been enough respect on Mr Malfoy's behalf for him to realise that his beliefs were questionable, which would, in the long term, have impacted on his ability to call Miss Granger an enemy and fight against her. This is the big lesson we have learned from all of this, and once the war is over we can begin to rebuild the school properly and ensure that nothing like this will ever happen again.'

Snape gave a grunt that could have been agreement or could have been sneering, Dumbledore wasn't sure which, but he didn't really care. Severus Snape had done everything that had been asked of him, as always, and in taking a massive chance in pairing Draco and Hermione had produced an excellent result.

'At least there will be _some_ good news to report at the meeting tomorrow,' Dumbledore said.

'Let's just hope they don't die in the war,' Snape answered gruffly.

'Well, if they do, I'm sure they'll both feel it was worth it.' Dumbledore smiled. 'This really does give me great hope for the future, Severus.'

Snape merely grunted again and took another sip of his drink, unwilling to share his thoughts any further.


	16. Chapter 16

'Come on, then, are we all ready? Where have you all got to?' Hermione tried to chivvy her family into a group in the hall as she dished out their coats. 'We said we'd be there at noon and it's already ten past . . . Draco, where are you?'

Draco came through the door from the kitchen. Two young boys, identical twins with the same blond hair as him, walked ahead of him looking unhappy.

'We had a couple of attempted defectors,' he said. 'The twins don't want to go.'

Hermione held out her sons' coats. 'What's the matter . . . Septimus . . . Armand?'

'I just don't understand why we've got to go,' Septimus moaned grumpily. 'Why do we have to go and spend the afternoon with people we don't know?'

'Why do they want to see _us,_ anyway?' Armand chipped in.

'That's a good point, Mum,' said their oldest daughter, another blonde with Hermione's curly hair. 'We've never met these people before, so why do they want to see us?'

Hermione bent down to put her youngest daughter's coat on.

'There's a good reason we've never seen them before, Dorea, but I have no intention of talking about it with you children. I've worked hard to arrange this lunch so we're going . . . and you will all be on your best behaviour, do you understand?' She looked up from the coat she was buttoning and stared at the four other children. All four looked truculent but they nodded.

'It's honestly not going to be that bad,' Hermione promised with a smile. She just hoped she was right, although she had to admit she was a little nervous about what kind of reception they were going to get. 'I bet they'll love you . . . yes, even you, Sep.' Septimus scowled. 'And none of that,' she added warningly. 'We want happy faces today, please . . . and _no_ tantrums. We want to give a good impression.'

'So who are they, anyway?' Dorea asked as she pulled on her coat. 'I still don't understand why we're going to have lunch with these new people rather than Nana and Pop. We'd all prefer to go there.'

'The people we're having lunch with are your paternal grandparents,' Hermione said. The children stared at her in confusion. 'They're Daddy's parents,' she clarified. She looked at her middle daughter and sighed. 'Isla, come here. You've got a mark on your face.' She pulled a white handkerchief from her pocket, licked it, and dabbed at the spot on the young girl's nose as Isla grimaced.

'More grandparents,' Armand said, wrinkling his nose. 'Why haven't we seen or heard anything about them before, then?'

'Because I had an argument with them a long time ago . . . before you were all born,' Draco told them with a sigh when it was clear they weren't going to shut up without an explanation. 'It's taken a long time for us to make up, but now we have it's important that we go and spend some time with them and that you get a chance to get to know them properly. It'll be nice to have more grandparents, won't it?'

'I like the ones we've got already,' Septimus said.

'Me, too,' Armand agreed.

Isla, who had escaped her mother, went and took Draco's hand. He smiled at his daughter.

'I want to meet them, Daddy.'

'You are such a creep, Isla,' Septimus taunted.

'Am not!' Isla stuck her tongue out at her brother.

'Can we all calm down, please?' Hermione pleaded. 'You've gained an additional set of grandparents, not lost the ones you already had. We're going to lunch with your paternal grandparents today and that's the end of it. We'll go and see Nana and Pop next week, so one week won't kill you. I think you're going to enjoy it, but please, no talking about why we've never seen them before unless they mention it. Promise?'

She looked at each child in turn as they duly promised although she was certain Septimus and Armand had their fingers crossed. She reached down and picked up Cora.

'Right, I think we're finally ready. Let's go. We'll already be in their bad books for being late, I expect.'

Draco recognised the touch of anxiety in Hermione's voice and moved to wrap his arm around her waist.

'I'm sure it's all going to go well,' he said quietly and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. Hermione smiled and Draco released her, then began herding the children towards the fireplace in the lounge. 'Will you be okay with Cora or do you want me to take her?'

'You can take her if you want.' Hermione handed Cora to Draco. She walked into the lounge.

'One _small_ handful of Floo powder each will be sufficient,' she said to the twins, who were arguing over the box full of glistening powder. Isla and Dorea already had their powder in their hands. 'Now remember, you all need to speak very clearly to make sure you go to the right place. Daddy will go first with Cora, then you, Dorea, Isla, Sep, Armand and I will come last.'

'You need to say "Malfoy Manor drawing room,"' Draco told the children. 'Can you repeat that for me?'

Draco made the children repeat the destination three times before he was certain they would all get it right. He looked at Cora.

'Ready to go, Cora?'

The little girl in his arms smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling closer to him.

'See you all shortly,' Draco said and threw his handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. The flame turned green and he and Cora stepped into it. 'Malfoy Manor drawing room,' he said calmly and disappeared.

Hermione watched worriedly as her other children took it in turns to use the Floo network, her nervousness extending further than the hope that her beloved sons wouldn't do anything stupid. It had been almost twelve years since she and Draco had last seen his father Lucius when he had tried and failed to stop them from marrying and had disinherited his son because of her.

She knew the separation from his parents had been hard for Draco to bear, particularly from his mother who he hadn't even hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to, although to his credit he had never once mentioned his pain to her even when she had tried to broach the subject a couple of times. He just stoically accepted that he had given up his life as a Malfoy and all the privilege that went with it to be with her.

Even after all these years Hermione sometimes had a hard time believing Draco had given up everything he believed in to be with her and she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But it was true. Draco, her rude and arrogant enemy for so many years at school, was her soulmate and they shared a blissful marriage and had five beautiful children.

But it was now well over a decade since the war that had defeated Lucius' master, and the world had changed so much that she had decided it was time to try to patch things up with the Malfoys — for her children's sake if not for Draco's.

It had started with a hopeful letter to Narcissa, Draco's mother, which Draco knew nothing about — Hermione didn't want to raise his hopes of a reconciliation if none was possible. But after what seemed like an eternity and a string of correspondence, an invitation to lunch was finally issued.

Hermione hoped that if things went well it would be the first of many such invitations. It would do her children good to have two sets of grandparents to spend time with, especially ones who were part of their world rather than Muggle ones as her own parents were. Better still, it would make Draco happy to be reunited with his precious mother, and maybe even his father despite all his faults.

She threw her own handful of powder and watched as the flames turned green. She felt her stomach lurch — it was too late to chicken out now, everyone else was already at Malfoy Manor and waiting for her. She just hoped that if Lucius and Narcissa still felt the same way about her as they had all those years ago they would at least have the decency not to bring up hurtful comments in front of her children. If they still thought she was a Mudblood then so be it, but she wasn't letting her children hear that kind of language and she was certain Draco wouldn't allow it either.

Hermione dusted herself down as she stepped out of the fireplace into a spacious and beautifully appointed room full of furniture and ornaments that she knew must have cost a fortune and were probably bought several centuries before. As she gave her coat to the waiting house-elf she looked anxiously around her, hoping that none of the children had done anything that needed reprimanding.

They all seemed to be in shock although she wasn't sure whether it was because of the impressive room, so much more luxurious than anything they had ever known, or the elegant and immaculately dressed blond couple staring imperiously at them all. Hermione chanced a smile as Draco took hold of her hand, as ever giving her strength, and she was sure that she saw Narcissa Malfoy's mouth twitch in response. Lucius Malfoy merely raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the family.

'I see you're trying to rival the Weasleys with the size of your family,' he said, not bothering to keep the disdain from his voice.

'We're aiming for a Quidditch team,' Draco responded with a smile.

'I don't understand how you can afford them all,' Lucius said. 'You must be scrimping and saving to get by. That's not much of a life, is it?'

Draco, undaunted by the remark, smiled again and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her closer.

'It's the most perfect life I could ever have asked for,' he told his father honestly. 'I'm married to my soulmate and have five wonderful if sometimes a little boisterous, children. What more could I want? I told you before that money isn't important, Father. Love and happiness are . . . and I've got everything I need and more.'

Hermione could see Lucius' eyes flash with annoyance and was worried that the conversation would turn into an argument already, which might then involve her.

She stepped in and hurriedly said, 'Thank you both for inviting us all to lunch. The children have been looking forward to meeting you.'

Lucius nodded curtly but didn't say anything. Hermione relaxed a little, hoping that she had broken the flow of the argument.

'It's nice to have you here,' Narcissa said suddenly, sounding wistful. 'It's been rather a long time since we've had any children at the manor.'

Hermione felt her heart twinge with sympathy for Narcissa. How hard must it have been for the poor woman to have to give up her only son because of her husband's beliefs and his anger? She suddenly realised that Narcissa hadn't had a chance to say goodbye either and she, too, had spent twelve years mourning that loss. Hermione knew she would never be able to give up one of her children regardless of how Draco felt — but then she could never understand how Lucius had been able to give up his son either, not if he really loved him.

'We usually go to lunch at my parents' on Sunday,' Hermione told Narcissa nervously, trying to connect with her mother-in-law as Lucius ignored her to focus on Draco. 'I was glad to get the chance to introduce them to you. It's good for them to know that they have other family, especially magical ones, although I think at their age they just assume everyone can do magic but some people don't bother.'

She turned slightly and pointed to each of the children in turn.

'That's our oldest, Dorea. She's off to Hogwarts in September.' She smiled reassuringly at her daughter, who gave a shy smile in return but carried on twisting her jumper nervously. 'Then we have the terrible twins, Armand and Septimus, who are seven.' She smiled as both twins scowled. She confided, 'They can be a bit of a handful but their bark is generally worse than their bite. Smile, Sep, there's a good boy.' Septimus scowled even more.

'The delicate flower is Isla, she's five,' Draco said, taking over naming duty. Isla gave a bright smile and a small, clumsy curtsey, which made Narcissa smile in return and Hermione relaxed a little more. Perhaps this would be okay after all. 'And this little bundle of fun is Cora, who's three.' Draco held her out for inspection, then put her down on the floor, where she clung to his leg.

'But how on earth do you afford to pay for them all?' Lucius asked Draco. He was still looking at the children as if they were a bunch of strays that had wandered into the room accidentally.

Draco shrugged. 'We manage. I work full time, Hermione works part time, and we don't do much in the way of socialising except with other families with children — picnics and so forth. We live modestly but well enough.'

Cora had now let go of Draco's leg and was walking towards Lucius with her arms outstretched. He watched her coming closer, a look of disbelief on his face. Hermione knew he wasn't the only one. She couldn't believe her youngest daughter was so eager to go to him when he had been nothing but chilly towards them.

She watched, her amusement growing as a look of panic crossed Lucius' face when he realised Cora wasn't going to leave him alone. She wrapped her arms around his leg and Hermione gave a silent prayer of thanks that the child wasn't covered in jam or something like she normally was, otherwise Lucius' probably extremely expensive pale grey trousers would be completely ruined.

'Tall man!' Cora happily announced as she clung onto Lucius like a limpet.

'Draco, would you like to take your daughter back?' Lucius asked.

Draco shook his head. He was amused as well. 'She doesn't want me, Father, she wants you,' he pointed out as Cora let go of Lucius' leg and held out her arms for him to pick her up. 'You're too tall for her to see properly. She wants you to pick her up so she can see your face.'

For a moment Lucius looked like he was going to refuse and Hermione felt that knot of tension return. But then, amazingly, he leant down and scooped up Cora. Hermione watched as Cora wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, her usual trick when anyone picked her up. Then she started playing with his hair. Hermione glanced worriedly at Draco but he just smiled and winked.

There was a tug on the sleeve of Hermione's jumper. She looked down to see Armand standing next to her looking uncharacteristically shy. He was looking at Narcissa with interest but every so often would glance at Lucius with suspicion. She grinned and bent down to talk to him.

'What's the matter, pickle?'

'Why's that man being so mean, Mummy?' he asked quietly. 'I don't like him very much and I don't think he likes us.'

'Don't be silly. That's Daddy's daddy and he's just not used to having children around, especially this many at once. Once he gets used to you all he'll be fine,' she replied equally quietly, hoping that Lucius and Narcissa couldn't hear the conversation.

'I think he's a bit scary,' Armand informed her. 'And Sep doesn't like him either.'

Hermione was tempted to respond with a comment along the lines of Lucius being a big teddy bear really, but one look at the man was enough to show that wasn't true, even with Cora wrapped around him. She was a little disappointed that he was treating his grandchildren so stand-offishly, but then she supposed that when you considered how he had treated his own son it wasn't really much of a surprise.

But she wanted her children to make a good impression and the twins could be more than a handful when they weren't very happy.

'I don't want you two playing up while we're here,' Hermione warned Armand. 'I mean it. If you do something naughty it won't mean we go home.' She saw her son scowl. 'We won't be leaving until after lunch at the earliest, so you'll have to make the best of it.' She pointed out of the French doors at the immaculate sweeping lawns that lay outside. 'Look, there's a nice big garden out there where I'm sure you can go and play if you ask nicely.'

'But what if they won't let us go and play?' Armand asked.

Hermione gave him a small smile. 'I'm sure they will, as long you ask nicely. I suggest you and Sep introduce yourselves to Daddy's mummy and ask her if it's okay.'

'Can you ask for us?' Armand said, suddenly going shy again.

Hermione sighed. 'All right, come on, then. Let's go and talk to her.'

Hermione held out her hands for both her sons, then walked towards the sofa where Narcissa sat, surprised to see that both Dorea and Isla had joined her.

Narcissa smiled. 'We're just getting to know each other better.'

Hermione smiled approvingly. 'That's good.' She indicated the boys. 'Sep and Armand aren't very good at being cooped up for long so I was wondering whether it would be possible for them to go and play in your garden?'

She saw but ignored the sharp look that Lucius gave at this request, but it seemed that Narcissa was going out of her way to be as accepting of them as possible.

'Of course, they're welcome to. I'm afraid we haven't got any toys for them to play with, though.'

'That's okay, they'll be fine chasing each other,' Hermione said. She turned to the twins. 'No going out of sight of this window — and no going in the flower beds, please.'

When she had gained their agreement she led them over to the French doors and released them, watching for a moment as the two boys barrelled across the lawn as fast as their legs could carry them. Smiling, she turned to join Draco, who was still talking to his father. Lucius looked uncomfortable as he held on to Cora but had obviously worked out that Draco had no intention of taking her back. Hermione knew her daughter wouldn't let go anyway until she was ready, and any attempt to remove her would probably cause a tantrum.

'How long is it until lunch? I was thinking I might show Hermione around some of the house,' Draco suggested.

Narcissa smiled. 'That's a nice idea, Draco. I'm sure she'll find it interesting.'

'Lunch will be at one thirty sharp,' Lucius told them.

Draco looked at the clock. 'So we've got twenty minutes.' He grabbed Hermione's hand. 'Come on then, my love. We're not going to get much done but it'll give us a few minutes alone for once.'

'If you're sure you don't mind?' Hermione asked anxiously. She looked at the uncomfortable Lucius, who stood stiffly, listening to Cora talk although she wasn't sure whether he understood what she was saying.

Narcissa smiled. 'We'll be perfectly fine down here without your parents, won't we girls?' She looked at Dorea and Isla, who both nodded. Hermione thought they both seemed entranced by their grandmother. 'Lucius is keeping Cora occupied and the boys are doing their own thing in the garden. Go and have a walk, you two. We'll see you later.'

Not needing any more convincing, Hermione and Draco took the opportunity offered to them and headed out the door, looking back only for a moment as they watched Draco's parents talking to their children. 

* * *

'I don't think they'll have redecorated,' Draco said as he pushed open the door of his old bedroom. 'I know I was disinherited but they would both have kept hoping I'd give up and come back home eventually. Anyway, even if Father wanted to change it, Mother wouldn't have let him.'

He wrinkled his nose a little at the smell and walked over to the window, opening it as Hermione entered the room behind him.

'Sorry about the smell. They obviously haven't aired the place since I left. At least the house-elves have dusted it.'

Hermione smiled. 'It smells like a typical teenage boy's bedroom.'

Draco looked at her archly. 'How do you know what a teenage boy's bedroom is like?'

'I used to stay at the Burrow during the holidays, and you know what that place is like with all those boys. To be honest, the smell could be a bit overpowering sometimes,' she explained.

'Well, this isn't too bad. It's dissipating now I've opened the window.' He looked at his wife fondly. 'You have no idea how many fantasies I had about you in here over that final year at school, my love.'

'I think I've got some idea. I remember you never thought about anything but sex,' Hermione retorted.

She looked around the room with interest. Although Draco had been brought up with money his room really was the standard teenage boy's bedroom, decorated as so much of the rest of the house was in the green, silver and black of Slytherin, with Quidditch posters on the wall. She studied one that contained Draco when he had been playing Seeker for the Slytherin team, remembering the times he had flown against Harry and thinking how young he looked. The teenage Draco and his Quidditch buddies leered at her.

Ignoring them, she turned her attention to the bed — a huge old-school four-poster, of course. She hadn't really expected anything else, but it showed clearly what different childhoods she and her husband had lived.

'What sort of fantasies did you have?' she asked.

Draco chuckled. 'I don't think there's anything I could do to you sexually that I haven't imagined in this room hundreds of times.'

'How on earth did you survive all those fantasies?' Hermione asked, sounding amused.

'There was a lot of masturbation,' Draco admitted ruefully.

Hermione laughed. 'I always thought you were a tosser at school.'

'Funny,' Draco retorted gruffly. He didn't sound amused.

'So what was your favourite fantasy, then?' Hermione asked, trying to defuse the tension that had suddenly built up between them.

Draco shrugged. 'I had so many, it's a little hard to choose.'

'But there must be one that stood out,' Hermione persisted.

Draco grinned. 'I used to think about tying you to the bed and tormenting you sexually until you came for me.'

'That sounds good to me,' Hermione said, 'but a little too time consuming, I think.'

'Definitely. That would take hours to do properly. We've only got another fifteen minutes or so before my father starts reading the riot act because we're late for lunch.' There was a touch of sourness in Draco's voice.

'So do you have fantasies about our bed?' Hermione enquired interestedly.

'Of course I do,' Draco replied.

Hermione looked surprised. 'Why haven't you said anything about them?'

'I don't want to lose my balls just yet.' He shrugged. 'I dunno exactly, maybe because it's nice to have something different to think about now and again. If we'd done everything, then where would the excitement be?'

'Maybe you need to tell me about them the next time we're in bed,' Hermione told him, her voice more seductive now.

'Are you going to let me tie you up, then?' Draco asked coolly.

Hermione smiled. 'Maybe. I'm sure you can find a way to get me to agree . . . although whether you'll find the time is another matter.'

'Now that's a challenge that I'm happy to accept, but not now . . . time is going far too fast here,' Draco replied.

'So what else did you fantasise about, apart from the bondage?'

'I told you, just about everything.' Draco sounded frustrated as he saw their time alone together slipping away without anything interesting happening. 'To be honest I'd have been happy to just get you anywhere near the bed, let alone do anything, Hermione. I spent so much time imagining you naked that just getting you here would have been enough.'

'On or in the bed?' Hermione asked as she slowly pulled her wand from her pocket.

'Does it matter? Either, really,' Draco admitted.

Hermione waved her wand, and all at once her clothes were gone. Her eyes were momentarily caught by the Quidditch poster but once again she ignored the lecherous looks the boys sent her way. She pulled back the covers on the bed, climbed in, and lay down, demurely covering most of her body. She gazed seductively at Draco.

'Like this?'

'The seventeen-year-old me would have already cum,' Draco told her honestly.

'What about the thirty-year-old you?'

Hermione waved her wand again and now he was naked as well.

'He's pretty close, too,' Draco admitted.

Hermione pulled back the covers to reveal herself more fully.

'You'd better get in here quick, then.'

Draco didn't need telling twice. Before Hermione could say another word he threw himself on the bed and grabbed her. His lips found hers as he pushed her down beneath him. His mouth trailed down her throat.

'We are going to be extremely late for lunch,' he told her, then his mouth continued downwards.

. . .

'So apart from the bondage, tell me something else you fantasise about . . . now and then,' Hermione said once she had recovered enough to speak. She was enjoying the feel of Draco lying on top of her and was genuinely interested to know what her husband was so interested in doing that they hadn't already tried after twelve years of marriage.

'I'm not sure this is the time. We're already late,' Draco pointed out.

'Please tell me,' Hermione begged. 'I'm sure your parents will understand that we wanted a bit of time alone together and will keep the kids occupied for another few minutes.'

Draco sighed and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. 'All right, as you're so eager to know I'll tell you. I've always wanted to have anal sex with you,' he admitted. He saw the look on Hermione's face and added, 'And now you know why I've never said anything. I know you're not interested. You always get really twitchy when I get anywhere near your bottom. That's why it's a fantasy.'

'Did you have that fantasy when you lived here?' Hermione asked.

'Of course I did. I told you, I've imagined having sex with you in every way possible.' He released her with one hand and gestured vaguely towards a bookshelf. 'And I mean _every_ way. I've got a copy of the Ka**r**ma Sutra over there. I spent quite a lot of time studying it when I lived here.'

'I didn't realise you were that desperate to do it,' Hermione said.

'I'm not desperate and I know you're not interested. That's why it's a fantasy,' Draco told her again gently.

'Is that what you want to do?' Hermione asked, her voice quiet. Draco couldn't work out what her expression meant at all.

He leant forward and kissed the tip of her nose. 'Not here. As much as I want you to try it, I want you to enjoy it as well.' Before Hermione could retort he added, 'You don't know that you won't enjoy it, Hermione. You might — let's face it if you're going to enjoy it with anyone it would be with me. But I want to take it slow, my love, and make sure you're happy and comfortable, and we can stop if you don't like it. We don't have time enough for that here, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't enjoy it if I just took you. I probably still would, but I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to enjoy something that you don't.' He kissed her again.

'So what are we going to do?'

'I think this will be perfect, don't you?' Draco whispered, his mouth pressing little kisses across her face and throat as he slid inside her, enjoying the small moan of pleasure Hermione made as he did so. 

* * *

'Before we re-join your parents there's something I want to tell you,' Hermione said as they walked down the stairs towards the entrance hall, holding hands.

'Does it have to be now or can it wait?' Draco asked.

He was uncomfortably aware that they were now extremely late for lunch because of his desire to spend some time with Hermione in his old bedroom, and he suspected his parents wouldn't understand what a treat it was for the two of them to get any time alone as they had never had that problem during his childhood.

Draco now realised that considering the reason he had been estranged from his parents for so many years, what he and Hermione had been doing probably wasn't going to go down very well, especially when he wasn't entirely sure that his father was any more willing to accept Hermione as his wife now than he had been twelve years ago. But it was too late now.

He was also a little worried that the children, who could be a handful at the best of times, were overwhelming his staid parents. He knew Hermione had been nervous about leaving the children with them in the first place, especially with his cold and abrasive father.

'It won't take long, but I really want to tell you now,' Hermione said.

'Is it something bad?' Draco asked. For some reason that he couldn't quite pinpoint, he suddenly felt strangely anxious.

'I hope not,' Hermione said. 'I wanted to tell you earlier but we were so busy there wasn't time, and then we were running late for coming here and—'

'So tell me.'

Hermione stared at him for a moment and bit her bottom lip.

'What? Come on, Hermione, talk to me,' Draco admonished.

'I'm pregnant again,' she said quietly.

Draco stared at her.

'Please say something,' she whispered, feeling the anxiety rise, the swirly feeling in her stomach making her feel sick.

'You're really pregnant?' Draco sounded astonished.

Hermione nodded. 'I did the test this morning as my period hadn't shown up.'

Draco pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as his lips found hers.

'That is good news, isn't it?' Hermione asked once they stopped kissing.

In some ways it was astonishing that she and Draco had actually managed to find enough time to have another child when the five they already had were always making their presence known and stopping them from getting as intimate as they would like. That was part of the reason they had stayed so long in Draco's bedroom, a break from the kids and a chance to have sex without fear of being disturbed at a crucial moment. But she had never had any trouble conceiving so it didn't really take much, although this one definitely wasn't planned.

Hermione was aware that another child wasn't going to do anything to help their bank balance, but like Draco she believed that love and family were more important than money and knew that even if they had to make a few more cutbacks they would find the money from somewhere; and she was sure that Draco would want to keep the baby.

She wondered whether telling him now had been a good idea, though. Although she had been dying to share the news with him since she found out she was pregnant, she was worried what Draco's parents were going to think if he shared the news with them, too.

Her parents would be as accepting as they had always been and would do everything they could to help, but Draco's father was already so disdainful of their family. She could easily imagine how he would react to finding out that they were expecting yet another baby.

'That's brilliant news,' Draco told her with a massive grin. 'That means we only need one more for our Quidditch team now.'

'It means Cora won't be the baby any longer,' Hermione said.

'She's not really a baby now, anyway, is she?' Draco pointed out.

'I know that, but she's still _my_ baby.' Hermione sounded wistful.

'They're all your babies really, even Dorea,' Draco chuckled. He hugged her again. 'Shall we go and give my parents the good news? I'm sure my father will be over the moon.'

Hermione stared at him archly. 'Are we talking about the same person? The one who's done nothing but sneer about our large family and poverty since we've arrived? I don't suppose he'll be any happier about it than about our other children, but to be honest I don't really care about him as long as you're happy about it.'

'Why wouldn't I be happy? When I told you all those years ago that I wanted more than sex this is what I meant. I love you so much, Hermione, and I love the children we create together just as much,' Draco said sincerely. 'I don't care about my father either, but I think my mother might be quite pleased. She's not been able to be involved with the birth and raising of the others and I think she might like to take a greater role. She was certainly getting on well with the girls when we left.'

'Perhaps Cora will have worked her charm on your father,' Hermione said although she didn't sound very hopeful.

'She'll wear him down sooner or later,' Draco predicted. 'She always wraps everyone around her little finger eventually.'

'But what about the expense of another child, Draco? I know it's not going to be cheap—'

Draco kissed her again to stop her talking.

'Don't worry, it will be fine. If need be I can work extra overtime to get more money.'

'But you already work so hard, my love and I don't want you making yourself ill. I know we decided against it whilst the children are young, but maybe I can go back to work full time once the baby's born — Dorea will be at Hogwarts by then. I can ask Ginny if she'll look after Cora and pick the others up from school when she collects hers. I'm sure we wouldn't have to pay much.'

'Look, we'll talk about this later, but you're not going back to work,' Draco said. 'We'll manage somehow — we always do. But let's not worry about it at the moment. First, we have to get through lunch . . . and the apology for being late.'

'I'll let you do that,' Hermione said. 'Your father doesn't want to talk to me anyway.'

'I think he's probably having trouble admitting that he was wrong,' Draco explained. 'He always thought you were just an infatuation for me and that once I'd had you I'd get bored and move on. He never understood that I was totally smitten, that you were the love of my life.'

'I thought you'd get bored, too,' Hermione admitted.

'I told you on our wedding day that was never going to happen,' Draco reminded her.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at him. 'You did, didn't you?'

'I'm hurt that you didn't believe me,' Draco said.

Hermione squeezed him. 'It wasn't that I didn't believe you, my love, I just couldn't believe I was that lucky.'

'I'm the lucky one,' Draco said and pulled her into a kiss.

'The house-elves will be going frantic because the food was ready almost twenty minutes ago and we haven't yet started eating because of you two.' Lucius' cold voice joined them in the entrance hall. 'It would be good if you could stop what you're doing and join the rest of us in the dining room for some lunch.'

'They're always like that, Grandfather. They love each other so much they can never let go of each other,' Dorea explained. Hermione was surprised to see her talking to Lucius and, even more, to hear her calling him Grandfather.

'Yeah, they're always all kissy-kissy,' Septimus said with a grimace. He, too, had come from the dining room to see what was going on.

'Do you feel like you're a twelve-year-old being chastised for being naughty?' Draco asked Hermione with a grin.

She nodded. 'Do you think we're going to get sent to our rooms without any dinner?'

'I hope not. I'm starving,' Draco said.

He released her and walked towards the dining room, following his father and his two children inside. Hermione followed him, pausing at the door to look at the scene inside the room. All her children were sitting at the table, not causing any trouble. It was amazing.

Narcissa was sitting between and talking to Armand and Isla, showing them how to fold their napkins into a rose. Septimus and Dorea had taken their places on either side of Lucius. Both seemed to be completely in awe of him. Cora was sitting on his lap, her arms still around his neck.

'Come and join us, Hermione,' Lucius said pleasantly as he saw her watching, motioning to a seat almost opposite himself.

As Hermione sat down she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make Lucius so agreeable all of a sudden. She had been certain that he still detested her, but now there was definitely a thaw in his demeanour.

She helped herself to some food and watched Draco take Cora from his father, feeling a lightness that she hadn't known until just now was missing, a hopefulness that things were going to work out and that the reconciliation with Draco's family would be a permanent one rather than just a one-off invitation.

Hermione knew there was likely to be a rocky road ahead; Draco had steered away from talking about the real reason Lucius had hated her — her blood status. But maybe that, too, didn't matter now, not now that they were long-married with children who showed every sign of being at least as magical as their parents.

She looked around the table once more, a smile crossing her face as she enjoyed the peaceful domestic scene.


	17. Chapter 17

'I want to apologise to you, Hermione.' Lucius' voice sounded contrite.

Hermione stared at him in surprise. When he asked her to accompany him on a walk around the gardens after lunch had finished she was a little apprehensive, knowing that his dislike of her hadn't seemed to diminish much over the years. But she couldn't think of a way to say no without seeming rude so she had accepted his offer, leaving Draco to watch the children and finally spend some time with his mother, and Hermione set off into the beautiful spring sunshine with her father-in-law.

It was extremely awkward at first. Hermione didn't know what to say to Lucius and he apparently wasn't ready to speak to her, apart from the odd comment about various plants and trees that were in the garden, so for most of the time they walked in silence.

Hermione had to admit that she was impressed at how beautiful Malfoy Manor and its surrounding grounds were. A little part of her felt upset that her children had missed out on growing up knowing about this place because of the man she was walking with.

She was determined not to be bitter about it, though, and she certainly had no intention of starting a fight, which was why, when they stopped in the not yet blooming rose garden to consider the view over the valley, she waited for him to talk first.

'I'm afraid I've been rather unfair to you,' Lucius continued when Hermione didn't respond. 'Of course, it was extremely easy to do when I had already detested you for years — for being a better student than Draco, for being so extremely good at magic when you had no right to be, and for your part in my incarceration after the Ministry of Magic debacle.' He broke off and frowned for a moment. 'Anyway, that aside, I'll admit I wasn't overly happy when Severus told me he had paired you with Draco for the Potions project.'

'Neither was Draco,' Hermione said.

'No, that's true. He did make his feelings very clear to me at the beginning and I spoke to Severus about it. He convinced me that being your partner would make Draco work harder and increase his chances of getting decent N.E.W.T. scores.'

'And that's exactly what happened,' Hermione pointed out. 'Draco's work rate increased considerably in that final year, and he got better grades than he would have got if he'd stayed working with his usual cronies.'

'I grant you that you did improve his education somewhat,' Lucius admitted stiffly, sounding as if he was worried the conversation wasn't going quite the way he had intended. 'But then the rumours started about you and my son being more than just project partners; his friends worried that he was turning into a blood-traitor. I couldn't believe it was true — I was aware that there had been no love lost between you throughout your entire time at school to that point, but at the same time Draco had become secretive and his complaints about you had ceased. Severus assured me it was just that you were natural work partners for each other, but with the rumours I was hearing I couldn't help but wonder.

'Then I heard that the two of you were engaged. Of course, at first, I didn't believe it. I couldn't comprehend that Draco would be willing to turn his back on his family and his privileged lifestyle for you. Knowing my son as I thought I did, it just wasn't possible. I simply assumed it was that Parkinson girl getting her knickers in a twist over nothing — that maybe Draco had been shagging you on the quiet and she'd found out about it and got the wrong end of the stick. She had always had her eye on Draco as a future husband and her mother had courted Narcissa assiduously over the years trying to curry favour with her, so even if he was just playing with you, which was the most likely explanation I could come up with, she would have been worried about losing him to you.

'When I thought about it I realised that working with you so much had probably left him no time to have fun elsewhere so I intended to have a quiet word with him, to remind him that whilst there was no reason he couldn't shag you if he really wanted to there were plenty of better girls out there for him to look at. But before I had the chance I heard that Draco had given you the Malfoy ring — the description meant it could be no other — which made me realise that his friend's fears had proved true: Draco had somehow been turned into a blood-traitor.

'I needed to nip it in the bud, to stop the engagement before it could go any further. I sent Draco a Howler which I followed up with a huge bribe, promising him pretty much anything he wanted if he would just remove that ring from your finger and see sense about marrying a nice Pure-blood girl rather than a—'

Lucius stopped speaking abruptly but Hermione was certain he had been about to say 'Mudblood'.

She stared at him in surprise. Although she had known that Lucius must know about the engagement because of the way Draco had told his friends, she didn't know he had actually contacted his son about it. Draco had never told her that, presumably to stop her worrying more than she already had been.

'He obviously didn't tell you,' Lucius said, seeing her look of astonishment. 'Even then he was protecting you. I told him I had no objection to him shagging you if he really felt the need but that under no circumstances would I allow the relationship to go any further than that. I assumed the job was done and that with only a few days left until the Dark Lord was to attack Hogwarts all I had to do was sit back and wait. Hopefully, you would be killed in the battle, along with your meddlesome friends.'

'I can't believe you're actually admitting that you wanted me to die,' Hermione said, sounding hurt.

'Of course I did. You and your interfering friends had ruined my reputation with my master at the Ministry of Magic, and now you had all but stolen my son from me. Your friend Potter was the only thing keeping the Dark Lord from taking over completely and you were part of his team, and the brains. You were always meant to die.

'I have to admit I did occasionally entertain the idea of getting Draco to do it, but the boy was always weak because his mother coddled him, and I suspected that after working with and shagging you for a year he wouldn't have the spine to do it. And I was right. Before the second owl had even returned from Hogwarts I got a report saying that the two of you were arranging to get married.

'I wasn't sure if it was correct, and Severus was annoyingly unhelpful on the subject, although this was before he was unmasked as a blasted blood-traitor as well. My messages to my son hadn't worked so I had no choice — I had to go to the Register office and stop the wedding.

'Severus offered to come with me, although now I see that was to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't do anything stupid, although I nearly still did. I didn't tell Narcissa what was happening as it would just have upset her, and I wasn't convinced that she would have rejected you had Draco begged her to accept you as his wife. She's always been far too doting on him.'

'We always wondered how you found out,' Hermione said. 'I always suspected it might have been Professor Snape . . . but obviously it wasn't.'

Lucius snorted. 'Severus! Severus arranged the wedding, Hermione. He was the one who organised it all on Draco's behalf. I found out later, by accident, long after he was dead so there was no point in being annoyed with him for it. I found out in the first place because the Registrar reports to the Ministry of Magic and I had several informants working there. One of them spotted Draco's name in relation to a wedding and sent me the information as he thought I'd be interested.'

'Professor Snape arranged it?' Hermione repeated once again, sounding surprised. 'But he was always so cold and heartless. I didn't think he could possibly understand—'

'About love?' Lucius cut in. Hermione nodded. 'Severus knew plenty about love, Hermione, he just wasn't very lucky in it. He fell in love with the wrong girl when he was still at Hogwarts and it ruined his life in so many ways. I think every choice he ever made in life was based on his love for her. I expect he could see himself in Draco and the girl in you, and he didn't want to see the two of you making the same mistakes they did.'

'He forced us to work together when I really didn't want to,' Hermione admitted. 'Did you know we'd had a big argument just before the end of the project?'

Lucius shook his head. 'No, I wasn't aware of that. Severus never said anything. Do you mind telling me what the argument was about?'

'Draco called me a Mudblood,' Hermione said, her voice quiet as she remembered.

Even now she could still feel the pain of it. It was stupid. Twelve years and five children later she still felt a twinge of pain at the thought of his betrayal with Pansy, even though she had won in the end.

'Was that all?' Lucius asked sardonically. 'Surely you must have been used to him calling you that. He had for years, hadn't he?'

'Yes, but this was different,' Hermione replied, the same defensiveness creeping into her voice as it had when she had talked about it to Professor Snape all those years before. She could feel herself getting agitated and was annoyed with Lucius for making her feel that way.

'Different how?' Lucius' voice was sharper now.

'We were friends,' Hermione blurted, then more quietly she added, 'He hadn't said it for such a long time.'

'You got annoyed with him for calling you a Mudblood after he started shagging you,' Lucius stated. It was clear from his tone that he thought she was pathetic.

'No! We weren't that intimate. There was nothing but a few kisses between us until we got married,' Hermione said.

It was Lucius' turn to look surprised. 'Are you telling me you never had sex with my son at all during the whole time you were working together? I don't believe you.'

'That's up to you, but it's true. He wanted to . . . he really wanted to, but I had problems with him being a Death Eater, not surprisingly. That's what we were arguing about when he called me that foul name.'

'It still seems rather an extreme reaction from you, especially if you _weren't_ sleeping together,' Lucius pointed out.

Hermione knew she was blushing; she could feel the heat rising in her face as she remembered. The problem was that Lucius had spotted it too, so she now had no choice but to tell him the truth.

'Draco got fed up with me wanting to focus on getting the project completed rather than having sex. He got frustrated and annoyed about it and lost his temper with me. We argued and I told him I couldn't do anything with him while he was a Death Eater. He called me a Mudblood in retaliation, stormed out of the lab, then went off and had sex with Pansy instead. We were supposed to be a couple at the time but he went and slept with her. The name-calling hurt and made me feel sick, but that betrayal was so much worse.'

'I had no idea any of this had happened,' Lucius said, frowning.

Hermione shook her head. 'No, I don't think anyone really knew at the time. I was so hurt by what he did, and so stressed at the upcoming exams by that time that I couldn't even begin to forgive him for what he had done and I refused to work with him any longer. But Professor Snape sat us both down separately and told us if we didn't work together to finish the project he would fail us, withdraw us from the exam, and give us enough detentions that we would fail all our other exams as well. We honestly didn't have any choice but to get it done.'

'But in that case, I don't understand how you ended up engaged,' Lucius said. 'If Draco was back with Pansy and you weren't talking to each other outside of the project . . . .'

'Draco kept apologising to me. He really regretted what had happened, both with Pansy and calling me that awful name, and eventually I listened to him. But it made no difference as far as I could see. He was still a Death Eater and that was never going to work out. We had another big argument where I told him that he had to make his own decisions in life rather than doing what other people told him to do, and then we split up for good . . . at least, I thought it was for good.

'I was really miserable afterwards and so was he, but he thought about what I said and decided he would rather be with me than continue to follow Voldemort. It was a wrench for him, I know, but that was when he proved that he really did love me. I already knew I was in love with him — it wouldn't have hurt so much otherwise — so when he asked me to marry him I had no hesitation in saying yes even though I knew you weren't going to be happy about it. I just didn't know how badly you would take it.'

'Would it have made a difference if you had known? Lucius enquired interestedly.

Hermione shook her head. 'No, because I was in love with Draco and I knew Voldemort was already aware that he was a blood-traitor. I was certain he wouldn't hesitate to kill Draco to control you . . . or kill me, and I didn't want that to happen, which is why I spent so much time trying to convince Draco to join me in the Order of the Phoenix. Whatever you might think of me I was trying to protect him, and thank Merlin he eventually listened to me.'

'What made you think that the Dark Lord thought Draco was a blood-traitor?' Lucius asked with a frown. Once again he was in unexpected territory and it made him uncomfortable.

'Were you aware that Voldemort had given Draco a task?' Hermione asked carefully. Even after all these years she wasn't going to admit what a risk Draco had taken with his life for her.

Lucius pondered this for a moment. 'I was told he had been given a task but I wasn't made aware of the details although I know it had something to do with Potter.'

'Hmmm. Well, it sort of did, but not exactly. Voldemort had read Draco's mind during one of the meetings and discovered his desire for me and, more importantly, his fear of what you would do to me if you found out. He used that knowledge to task Draco with abducting me. Voldemort told him that if I was taken to him, Harry would surely try to rescue me, which would then lead him to Voldemort. He told Draco that once that happened and he killed Harry he would give me to Draco to be his lover and that you wouldn't be able to stop him.'

'And Draco believed that?' Lucius asked, incredulous at what he was hearing.

Hermione snorted bitterly. 'Of course he did. He was the good little Pure-blood Death Eater you had brought him up to be. He believed his master would keep his promise, despite the fact that he was clearly unhinged and prone to sudden changes of mind. But he couldn't take me to Voldemort because I wouldn't leave school grounds, and as you know, it's impossible to Apparate from in there.'

'But how did you find out about it?'

'Draco told me. Once we started working together we discovered that we fancied each other, but there was no way we could have a relationship openly, and we knew you would never allow it, so I kept pushing him away because I didn't want to get involved any more deeply and get my heart broken. Then he told me about this great plan, but of course, I was absolutely horrified at what he was telling me.

'I knew Voldemort would kill me whether he got Harry or not, regardless of what he had told Draco, and then he would kill Draco, too, for being a blood-traitor. The idea terrified me so I tried to get him to see reason, but I'm not sure I ever did convince him completely. Staying at Hogwarts was the only way to stop Draco from being a complete idiot and taking me to Voldemort.

'Eventually, we ended up becoming a couple anyway because the attraction between us was too strong, but we remained on different sides until after the exams, when Draco realised that he wouldn't see me after we left school because I would be joining the Order of the Phoenix.'

'And he changed his view and joined the Order, too,' Lucius said, his voice cold.

'It was the only way we could be together, Lucius. I couldn't join him as a Death Eater, could I? That's when we finally understood how much in love we were. We knew we could face anything as long as we were together, and we were so completely miserable when we were apart.'

Lucius looked thoughtful for a few seconds. 'That explains a lot, actually. I honestly thought he was just infatuated with you and was marrying you purely to annoy me. I was convinced that once he got it out of his system and understood what I'd actually done in disinheriting him he would come crawling back to Malfoy Manor, begging me to forgive him and take him back. I was confident that it would happen . . . and sooner rather than later. However good a shag you were, Draco would soon work out that you weren't worth giving up his comfortable lifestyle for.'

'But we really were in love,' Hermione said.

Lucius nodded. 'Clearly. After a year, I realised that Draco hadn't shown any sign of leaving you and coming back home, and I had to admit to Narcissa that I had driven him away. That didn't go down too well, I can tell you. She begged me to talk to him, but I was never going to do that. My pride was too great and I still detested you so much . . . even more than before . . . for stealing my son from me.'

'But I never did that,' Hermione said sadly. 'You were the one who drove him away with your words at the wedding and your hatred for me.'

'I know that _now_ although I can only see things completely clearly now you've explained to me about the Dark Lord's task. When you got pregnant with Dorea I was sure Draco would come to see us then. I had been following your careers, and although you both had good jobs you could have done with a few more years of financial security behind you before starting a family.

'I don't know whether you planned it or whether it was an accident, but I was sure Draco would come cap in hand for some money to help to raise the child. But yet again I was wrong. Not only did the two of you happily start your family but you then added more children to it. Each time you got pregnant I thought Draco would have to come and see me, as money became tighter and tighter, but he just worked longer hours and you cut back on everything and carried on without our help.'

'Draco was never interested in your money,' Hermione told him.

'Maybe not once he started working with you and learnt the value of hard work, but I can assure you he most certainly was before that, Hermione. My son spent his entire school career trading on his name, money and connections to get him what he needed. I doubt he ever did a single day's hard work in his life before Severus paired him with you.

'I suspect the realisation that he wouldn't be able to slack off with you in the way he always had with his friends was one of the initial reasons he was so against being paired with you, although he used your blood status as a ready-made excuse. But although I disliked the idea intensely at the time, I now have to admit that you have given my son far more than I ever gave you credit for. Thanks to you he has grown into a decent and hardworking man whose creed is to provide for his family and to love them no matter what. I've treated you both unfairly, and for that I apologise unreservedly. I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.'

Hermione stared at Lucius for several seconds without saying anything as she thought back on what he had said. Was he really holding out an olive branch to her? He had certainly pulled no punches when he admitted to his previous dislike of her, but it seemed he was genuinely trying to make an effort at reconciliation.

It was her choice now whether to accept or reject him, and she knew that whatever she chose would have a massive impact on her family and the way they lived the rest of their lives. The truth was that even now she was still annoyed with Lucius, both for the callous way he had tried to stop Draco from being with her and for trying so hard to turn him against her, but even more for deserting his son for following his heart. But there was nothing to be gained by clinging to that anger and there was so much that could be acquired by granting forgiveness.

Despite his need for absolution, Hermione didn't think Lucius was talking to the right person. Although she had despised him for his views, she understood that Lucius was only following in the family footsteps when he branded her a Mudblood, just as Draco had before they worked together on the project.

She had forgiven Draco easily enough, so why should forgiving Lucius be any different? Lucius hadn't had the chance to get to know her as Draco had, and he'd had no reason to change his opinion of her apart from seeing the benefits her relationship had brought his son, so it had taken years for him to come to understand that he might have been wrong about her.

But whatever his feelings towards her, Hermione couldn't forgive him for the deplorable way he had treated his son; and by extension, because of his actions, the way he had treated his wife. That forgiveness wasn't hers to give.

She gave a small sigh. 'I think you should be apologising to Draco and your wife, shouldn't you, Mr Malfoy? After all, it was your bigoted opinions and determination to be right at any cost that ruined what little faith Draco had left in you and kept him and his mother apart for twelve years. They're the ones you should be asking for forgiveness from, not me.'

'Please call me Lucius, it's far less formal than Mr Malfoy,' Lucius suggested. He smiled. 'My wife has already received her apology, that's why you're here today: an attempt to try to put right what I once made wrong. But you're extremely kind or incredibly forgiving if you don't believe that I need to apologise to you, Hermione. What I did to you was the worst possible thing anyone could ever do,' Lucius reminded her, his voice solemn.

'I tried to stop the two of you being together when in truth I've never met a couple so completely into each other as you and Draco are. That's what I'm apologising to you for, for trying so hard to take that amazing love away from you and I also want to apologise for my bigoted views. It's become clear over the years that Muggle-borns aren't the demons we had been taught by our fathers and their fathers before them to believe. It's hard to admit that I was wrong, especially when my life's ideals have been built on that premise.

'Finally, of course, I'm not a complete idiot. I know my son will never forgive me if the woman he loves doesn't feel the same way, so I'm appealing to you before I talk to him in hopes that you will accept this apology so he can accept it, too.'

'You do agree that I've made Draco's life better, not worse?' Hermione asked, wanting to hear Lucius finally admit it out loud.

'I do, and I think your children are incredibly special; bright and intelligent and brimming with enthusiasm for life. You really are both suited to parenthood although I honestly never thought I would say that about Draco.' Lucius looked at her hopefully.

'He's definitely not the person you used to know, Lucius. He is the most wonderful and generous man and every day I count myself fortunate to have him as my husband. To be honest, like you I always thought he would get bored with me, but I've been pretty lucky so far,' Hermione said.

Lucius chuckled and shook his head. 'That isn't luck. My son will never get bored with you, my dear. It's clear for everyone to see how much in love with you Draco is, and I don't think that's ever changed. I just refused to see and accept it before because I was a belligerent and stubborn man.'

'I do forgive you, Lucius,' Hermione told him quietly. 'I know Draco's missed his mother so much . . . and you, too, and such a long time has passed since the war now that it seems stupid to keep fighting just for the sake of it. I want our children to have both sets of grandparents. I want them to learn from you; there's so much rich history of both your family and the wizarding world that you can teach them, in the same way that my parents teach them and give them an appreciation of the Muggle world.'

'And we want to get to know them . . . and you . . . we want to get to know you better as well, Hermione,' Lucius told her honestly.

As Hermione looked at her father-in-law she suddenly felt at peace and knew that finally, everything was going to be okay between them. She smiled and took his arm as they left the rose garden.

'I'm pregnant again,' she confided to him as they walked slowly back towards the house. 'I wasn't sure whether to tell you or not as you seemed so dismissive of the children earlier, but I think things have changed and so you ought to know.'

'Again? Draco wasn't kidding about the Quidditch team, was he?' Lucius said with a grin. 'So when is it due?'

'I only found out this morning so I haven't had time to see a Healer yet to confirm the dates, but it's probably going to be in about seven and a half months or so,' Hermione admitted.

'Well, Narcissa will be pleased with the news. Although she's never said anything, I know she's been disappointed that she hasn't had any contact with the children before now. A new baby to coo over will give her something to look forward to.'

'Well, I certainly won't say no to any help,' Hermione told him honestly. She smiled back at her father-in-law. 'I'm really glad we had this talk, Lucius. I feel it's cleared the air between us in a lot of ways although I'm obviously still not happy about you wishing me dead.'

'That was a long time ago and is most definitely _not_ the case any longer. I wish only good things for you for the future, Hermione,' Lucius said.

'I'll accept that, but you still need to apologise to Draco,' she said graciously. 'I think he and Narcissa will be wondering where we've got to, we've been gone for quite a while. I just hope the children haven't been playing up.'

'I'm sure they're fine, and I promise you I will talk to Draco as soon as we get back. I want his forgiveness as much as I want yours. Nothing will be truly settled until I get it,' Lucius told her.

As Hermione and Lucius entered the drawing room Draco looked anxiously at his wife. Although he was grateful for the opportunity to spend some time alone with his mother reconnecting with her, he was a little nervous about letting Hermione go off alone with his father.

Although logically he knew it was unlikely that Lucius would do anything to her physically — even with all his money his father couldn't get away with murder these days — that didn't mean he couldn't hurt Hermione with his hatred and bile or use his bitterness and anger to degrade her as he had so many times in the past.

His cold attitude towards her before lunch hadn't put Draco's mind at ease either. When they had been gone for such a long time he debated whether to go and find them but his mother persuaded him to wait, certain that things weren't as bad as Draco was imagining. He saw Hermione smile at him as he rose to meet her.

'How was the walk?' he asked as he wrapped his arms around her. 'Brrr, you're chilly.'

'The temperature has dropped out there,' Hermione said. 'The garden is really beautiful, though. Your father took me to the rose garden. There's a magnificent view. It's spectacular.'

'My mother has been entertaining the children,' Draco said, gesturing around him. Floating all around the room were the most amazing creatures that appeared to be made of bubbles. 'She used to make them for me when I was younger,' he explained.

'They're amazing,' Hermione said, genuinely impressed. She turned to Narcissa. 'You're very talented. How do you stop them from bursting?'

Narcissa blushed slightly at the compliment and Hermione understood a little sadly that it was probably rare that she ever received one. 'I make them slightly thicker than normal bubbles. They still burst or dissolve eventually, especially once they hit the furniture, but until then they're quite pretty.'

Hermione gazed at the perfect clear creatures, glistening with rainbow colours as the last of the afternoon sun through the French doors caught them.

'Aren't they wonderful, Mummy?' Isla said, coming over to join her mother.

'They certainly are.' Hermione laughed as she saw Cora chasing a cat that was floating just a little too high for her to reach. 'I can see I'm going to have to learn how to make these. I shall have to get you to give me some lessons, Narcissa.'

Narcissa looked pleased with the comment. 'I'll be happy to show you, Hermione. They're quite easy to make, really.'

'So is everything okay?' Draco asked quietly as he continued to hold onto Hermione.

Hermione smiled and nodded, then kissed him on the nose. 'Perfectly. We had a lovely walk, we had an extremely interesting talk and I told your father about the baby.'

'You did?' Draco sounded and looked surprised. 'What did he say?'

'I think you should talk to him,' Hermione said. 'Have you told your mother yet?'

'No. I didn't want to say anything, just in case.'

'I think she'll want to know,' Hermione told him.

'Of course she will, I know that, but I didn't want to tell her and put her in the position of having to keep it a secret from my father,' Draco said.

'There are no secrets anymore,' Hermione said with a smile, then she remembered. She leant closer to Draco and whispered in his ear, 'Except for the one about Hogsmeade and the Dark Lord. That never happened. You told me about his plan at school, okay?'

Draco stared at her for a moment, then nodded his understanding.

'Draco, I wonder if I could speak to you for a few minutes?' Lucius asked. He was holding Cora again. She leant out of his arms, attempting to pluck another bubble animal from out of the air.

'Of course, Father.' Draco released Hermione, then took Cora from Lucius and handed her to Hermione. 'Do you want to give my mother the good news?'

'I can do, if you don't mind me doing it,' Hermione said.

Draco smiled. 'They're your parents now as well . . . well, almost parents.'

'I'll see you shortly,' Hermione said, giving him another kiss. 'Please listen to your father, my love. Don't get annoyed with him until he's finished talking.'

'Did you get annoyed with him?' Draco asked with a frown.

Hermione sighed. 'He said some things that weren't very pleasant to begin with but he made up for it in the end. Just give him a chance and I know he'll come good.'

She watched as Draco followed his father out of the door, hoping he wouldn't lose his temper with Lucius. Although her husband was a good man and a wonderful father, his temper was quick to rise and had caused him problems many times in the past. Hermione knew he needed to listen to his father's apology properly all the way through, without flying off the handle, otherwise they would never be reconciled. But she was sure now that they were both ready and that the outcome would be as good for Draco as it had been for her.

'Let's go and see your grandmother, shall we?' she said to Cora, and she made her way over to the sofa where Narcissa was sitting surrounded by the other children.

'Here's another one for you,' she told the woman as she handed Cora to her.

Cora wrapped her arms around Narcissa's neck and kissed her as Narcissa smiled.

'You've certainly got your hands full, Hermione. You must have a lot of energy.'

Hermione shrugged. 'You don't really have any choice but to go with it. I wouldn't change my life for the world, though.'

'You certainly seem very happy,' Narcissa said wistfully. 'And Draco, too. I've never seen him so happy. You've been so good for him.'

'We've been good for each other,' Hermione admitted with a smile.

'You've been lucky to be blessed with such wonderful children,' Narcissa said.

Hermione chuckled. 'You think they're wonderful now but you should see them when they're all sulking or throwing a tantrum. They're not quite so wonderful then, I can tell you.'

'I always wished I could have another child but pregnancy didn't come easily for me and Lucius seemed to lose interest once we had Draco. He had his heir and didn't seem to feel any more children were required. After a few years, it became clear that I wasn't going to get pregnant again, so I'm afraid I rather spoilt Draco.'

'What a shame you couldn't have more,' Hermione said sympathetically. 'But you can always borrow ours.'

'I was hoping you would say that,' Narcissa admitted. 'This place is so big and seemed more so once Draco was gone. It would be lovely if we could have the children to stay in the future.'

'I'm sure they'd enjoy that, especially with that wonderful garden out there for them to play in,' Hermione said. 'And it might be helpful when the baby comes.'

Narcissa stared at her for a moment. 'You're pregnant again?' she asked.

Hermione nodded. 'I only found out this morning, but yes. The next member of Draco's Quidditch team is on the way.'

'That's wonderful news,' Narcissa told her, clasping Hermione's hands tightly.

'We think so,' Hermione replied, feeling more content than she had done for a long time.


	18. Chapter 18

'For Merlin's sake, Hermione, how can you still be so nervous after all these years?' Ginny asked, sounding half amused, half exasperated. 'This is the third time you've done it . . . and it's not like Draco's going to say no, is it?'

Hermione groaned and looked up from the toilet bowl. She reached out a hand for a glass of water as she grappled for some toilet paper with the other. Ginny handed her the glass and she drank, rinsing her mouth out and spitting it into the toilet before wiping her lips with the paper.

'I can't help it,' she announced mournfully. 'It seems to be an automatic reaction as soon as I put on a wedding dress.'

She leant over the bowl and threw up again.

'This does bring back old memories, but did you say three times, Ginny?' Rachel asked sounding confused.

'Mummmph,' Hermione mumbled with her head still down over the toilet.

'Nope, didn't quite catch that,' Rachel said with a grin. 'You'll have to repeat it . . . and more slowly this time.'

Hermione made another retching sound and her friends both grimaced.

'What the blushing bride is trying to say is that they got married the first time just days before the war. It was a secret because they were trying to stop Draco's father finding out about it . . . although that didn't work. After the war, once everything calmed down, they did it again properly; that was the one where you were a bridesmaid, Rachel. So this is the third time.'

'I can't believe you didn't tell me you were already married, Mia,' Rachel said reproachfully. 'I thought I was your best friend and yet you kept something that important from me.'

Hermione, who had finally stopped being sick, stared guiltily at Rachel.

'I'm sorry, Rach, but it was a pretty bad time and Draco and I agreed to pretend it hadn't happened and have a nice, proper wedding with my family and friends once the war was over. The only people who knew were the few who were there and they all agreed not to say anything, either. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You're right that I should have done but I was mainly keeping it a secret from my parents. They would have been really upset if they knew I'd got married without them being there.'

'You do know it'll probably come out today, don't you? Someone's bound to mention it, not realising it's a secret,' Rachel said.

Hermione sighed and knew her best friend was right. Today was really for Draco and his family, and his parents probably wouldn't think twice about mentioning the first wedding not knowing that her parents weren't aware of it.

'I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. I'm going to need to talk to them before they find out from someone else.' She looked hopefully at Ginny. 'Do you think you can go and find them for me and bring them here, please, Gin?'

Ginny smiled. 'Well, at least something's taken your mind off throwing up. Will you be okay?'

Hermione nodded and gave a wan smile. 'Everything will be fine. Rach is here to look after me.'

As Ginny closed the door, Rachel rounded on Hermione angrily.

'That's the second time you've kept a secret from me, Mia,' she said as she remembered the night at the club so many years before when Hermione had pretended Draco's name was Adrian. She frowned. 'I'm not sure Draco's been a good influence on you.'

Hermione stopped brushing her teeth and stared at her friend in amazement. 'Twice in fifteen years! Anyway, you were the one who kept pushing us together,' she pointed out.

'That was before I found out what a liar he was,' Rachel retorted.

'And I explained to you at the time why he did that,' Hermione said.

Rachel still looked bullish but, calmer now, she said, 'So tell me about this secret wedding, then.'

Hermione sighed. 'There isn't that much to tell, really. It was at the end of our exams and war was fast approaching and we were all scared. Draco asked me to marry him but his father found out. You remember what I told you at the time about Draco hiding his identity from you so his father wouldn't get to know about it . . . that really was a threat and it would have been terrible if he'd found out. We knew that if we waited until after the war to get married — assuming we managed to survive it — Draco's father would find a way to stop the wedding, so we decided to do it straight away and in secret.

'I really wanted you and my parents there but it just wasn't possible. I'd already sent Mum and Dad to Australia and put a block on your memory so you didn't remember my parents or me, to protect you in case Lucius found out about you. But even if you hadn't been protected, with anti-Muggle feeling riding so high there was no way I would risk trying to bring you into the wedding, and it would have been pretty difficult anyway.

The only place we could get married was in Hogsmeade, which is the only completely wizarding village in Britain, so without some strong magic to help you wouldn't have been able to come. Using that much magic would have advertised to all and sundry what we were doing. I did think about you and my parents during the ceremony and it made me a bit sad that you weren't there with me, but I knew Draco would give me a lovely wedding once the war was over and we all agreed to treat that as the real wedding and forget about the first one.'

'So who was at the first wedding?' Rachel asked.

'Harry and Ron were our witnesses. Ginny came as my bridesmaid and Blaise turned up unexpectedly and was the best man.'

'My husband was there?' Rachel looked stunned. 'He's never mentioned anything about it.'

Hermione shook her head. 'I told you, it was a secret and was done purely to ensure that we could marry. The real wedding, as far as all of us were concerned, was the one that you and Mum and Dad attended. Please don't be angry with me, Rach, and don't be angry with Ron. He only did what Draco and I asked him to do.'

'I just can't believe he's never said anything,' Rachel said, sounding astonished. 'You know how rubbish he is at keeping secrets normally.'

'As I said, it was a pretty tough time, and when Draco's father turned up—'

'What?' Rachel yelped. 'What do you mean, he turned up? I thought you said you did it in secret.'

'We did . . . at least that was the plan. But Lucius was always very well informed about everything and somehow he found out. He tried to stop the wedding but it was too late. He threatened to kill us both but realised that would make us martyrs and would give the Order of the Phoenix a massive boost, so he didn't dare do it otherwise he would have been in trouble with his master. Instead, he disinherited Draco and left us to get on with it.'

'That's right, I remember you saying at the wedding — the other wedding — that Draco and his parents weren't getting on very well and that's why they weren't there.'

'Correct. We didn't bother inviting them, but even if we had they wouldn't have come. As far as Lucius was concerned his son was dead as soon as he married me.'

'But what about Lucius' mother, why did she agree to that? I could never do that to my children,' Rachel said with a frown.

Hermione sighed. 'Lucius and Narcissa both come from extremely old Pure-blood families. Things have changed so much in the last decade or so that you wouldn't have seen the nastiness that used to occur. I know I mentioned some of it to you when I told you about Draco that first time. Lucius especially was in thrall to the Dark wizard, Voldemort, who was trying to take over. He didn't dare go against him for fear of punishment or even death. It was a real show of Draco's love for me that he crossed over to our side. But Narcissa had to stand by her husband, whatever her own feelings were, so they disowned him.'

'That explains quite a lot, actually,' Rachel said. 'I did ask Ron about Draco's parents . . . after your wedding. He said something about them thinking Draco was a . . . what was it . . . a blood-traitor?'

Hermione nodded. 'That's right. I told you a bit about that stuff before when I was explaining about why Draco pretended to be someone else. Some Pure-bloods were, and no doubt some still are, very unhappy at the idea of people like me, a Muggle-born, having magic — and worse still, marrying into and breeding with their families — mixing my so-called "dirty" blood with their "pure" blood. Of course now we know for certain that all that inbreeding was causing worse, not better magic amongst Pure-bloods and there are reports from the Ministry of Magic that back it up, but old habits die hard, I'm afraid. Voldemort used this fear to stir up the Pure-bloods to fight against Muggle-borns, and those Pure-bloods who wouldn't — like the Weasleys and Draco — were called blood-traitors for refusing to stand with their bigoted relatives. It was a horrible time and I'm sure Draco wasn't the only one cast out of his family for it. In fact, I know he wasn't. His Aunt Andromeda was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born and his Uncle Sirius walked away from his family rather than side with Voldemort.'

'It's really strange because I've always thought Lucius seemed quite pleasant when I've talked to him . . . you know, at parties and that,' Rachel mused.

'He's changed a lot since the war,' Hermione admitted. 'I think losing Draco affected him far more than he expected, although he would never admit it, but his pride was too great to seek a reconciliation. After twelve years I thought enough time had passed so I wrote to Narcissa and asked her to meet with Draco and the children. I so wanted them to know that they had another family out there because it seemed wrong not to know them. I think once Lucius met the children he realised what he had missed out on, and had made Narcissa miss out on for all those years. I suspect it was he who suggested to Draco that we should renew our vows — to give Narcissa a chance to be at the wedding she missed out on all those years ago.' Hermione smiled. 'I have to admit I thought it was a lovely idea when Draco suggested it, and it is a great way to mark our fifteenth wedding anniversary.'

'I think Ron's worried I'm going to want something similar,' Rachel said with a laugh, 'and you know what Molly's like. Now she's got the idea in her brain she's already tried to convince Harry and Ginny that they should renew their vows the year after next. I think Ginny quite likes the idea, although I'm not sure Harry's so keen. I think Ron would rather go on holiday for our anniversary — just the two of us.'

'What do you want to do?' Hermione asked.

Rachel shrugged. 'I don't really mind either way, although I have to admit the idea of two weeks of sun and sand without the children getting in the way is extraordinarily appealing.'

'Then I think you should go for that. I'm sure Molly would be happy to look after the children for you. They all spend a lot of time at the Burrow anyway.'

'True, although I think Molly likes the idea of having something to dress up for.'

'My advice to you is the same as it's always been where the Weasleys are concerned,' Hermione said with a smile. 'Make sure you stand up for yourself and don't get bullied into doing something you don't want to do just because Molly wants it. Follow Ginny on that. She's always been good at doing exactly what she wants.'

'Don't worry, Ron's very good at fending her off,' Rachel confided. 'He knows she drives me mad sometimes. I mean, I love her, of course I do, but she can be a bit much.'

'That's in-laws for you,' Hermione said wryly.

She turned as the door opened and Ginny came in, waving a bottle of champagne and carrying three glasses. Hermione's parents followed. They, too, were carrying champagne flutes.

'I've brought us some fizz and I found your parents.' Ginny put the glasses on the dressing table and filled them with champagne. 'This house is bloody amazing, Hermione. I can't believe how big it is. Your whole family could live here and Lucius and Narcissa wouldn't even know you were here.'

Hermione rolled her eyes and shuddered. 'Don't say that. They've mentioned it to Draco several times but I refuse point blank to live here. I want my own house and to raise my family the way I want, not the way Lucius and Narcissa think I should.'

She took the glass of champagne and eyed it dubiously. 'I don't know if this is a good idea.'

'You were sick because of nerves, not because you aren't well,' Ginny told her. 'The champagne will help to calm them.'

She took hold of Rachel's arm. 'Come on, Rachel, let's leave Hermione to talk to her parents. We need to see what our husbands are doing before they get themselves into trouble. We'll see you later, Hermione. You've got fifteen minutes before it starts.'

Hermione gave both women a hug and watched as they left the room. They were both wearing the same colour dresses they had worn at her last wedding, her favourite colour, cornflower blue. Theirs were bright and vibrant whereas her own dress was a much paler tone of the same colour, with trimming and embroidery in the same shade as the bridesmaids' dresses. Hermione was extremely pleased with the dress and was sure Draco would like it. After fifteen years of marriage and six children it wouldn't have been appropriate to wear white, and cream had never really suited her complexion. Instead of a veil and tiara she had chosen a crown of cornflowers, which perched on her curly and for once not completely unmanageable hair. Her bouquet, which was currently sitting in a vase waiting for her entrance to the wedding, was a mixture of white roses, blue hydrangeas, white stocks, and of course, more cornflowers; the roses studded with blue diamantes.

She smiled at her parents as she took a sip of her champagne.

'It's so good to see you both. You didn't have any problems getting here, did you?'

Her father shook his head. 'No. We followed Draco's directions to the village. Harry and Ron were in the pub with him and some other fellows. They brought us back with them so we didn't have any problems.'

'It is a beautiful place,' Hermione's mother said. 'We've had a walk around the gardens. There's an amazing view from the rose garden . . . and those roses. I really must ask Lucius how he grows them so big. They're absolutely magnificent.'

'How are you feeling?' Hermione's father asked anxiously. 'Ginny told us you were sick again.'

Hermione shrugged. 'I know it's stupid, but I can't seem to help getting nervous. I think it's going out in front of all those people. The Malfoys have invited so many and I don't think I even know half of them.'

Hermione's father pulled her into a hug. 'It's going to be fine, sweetheart. It's been beautifully decorated down there, and Draco seems as eager as ever.'

Hermione disengaged herself from her father, biting her bottom lip nervously as she debated how to tell them about the Hogsmeade wedding.

'I've got something I need to tell you both,' she said.

'You're not pregnant again, are you?' her father asked with a grin.

Hermione shook her head but she was smiling. 'No, although I suspect that tonight we'll be trying for the last and final member of our Quidditch team.' The smile dropped somewhat. 'I need to talk to you about something that happened during the war, something I should have told you before, really. Do you want to sit down? It's going to take a few minutes to explain . . . . 

* * *

Hermione gazed adoringly at Draco as they danced, her stomach still doing little somersaults because everyone was watching them. Today was the culmination of fifteen wonderful years with the man she still loved more than anything in the world. She was extremely content and was enjoying the day every bit as much as she had at her second wedding. Lucius and Narcissa had certainly spared no expense in giving the two of them the most amazing day, and it was wonderful to see her whole family finally united and getting on.

There had been a few tears earlier on her part when her mother and Narcissa hugged, and then when Lucius and her father talked and joked as if they were old friends; and when Lucius talked warmly at the post-ceremony meal about his beautiful and talented daughter-in-law, Hermione knew that the miracle had happened. This was the confirmation that she had finally been accepted as a Malfoy. Draco's parents' gift to them was proof of that — the reinstatement of Draco's inheritance, which officially gave Hermione's children the birthright they had been denied for so long.

Others started dancing now, filling the floor as Hermione's mind turned back in time, back to her school days and her first wedding and to the people who had started the ball rolling; those who had given her and Draco the chance to change, had without even realising it given so many people the chance to change. Instantly she had the urge to be alone with her husband as she had a feeling she was going to cry, and she didn't want everyone to see her in case they got the wrong idea.

'What's the matter, my love?' Draco whispered. He had seen Hermione's joyful face turn slightly maudlin and wondered what had caused it.

'Would you mind if we went for a walk? I could really do with being on our own for a little while,' Hermione said apologetically.

Draco grinned. 'I was just thinking the exact same thing. I haven't had you to myself all day. Come on.' Taking her hand, he led her through the dancing crowds and out of the marquee. 'Let's go to the knot garden. It's far enough away that hopefully, no one will follow us.'

They walked quickly, avoiding the gazes of those who tried to talk to them as they went, determined to get a few minutes to themselves. As they entered the walled garden dusk was falling; the smell of the herbs mixing with the fragrant scent of lavender on the warm evening air. The sound of the music from the reception was only a distant backdrop. Draco pulled Hermione to him and kissed her.

'You look so beautiful today, Hermione. Every time I look at you, my heart skips a beat.'

Hermione shook her head. 'Draco, you are such a romantic old fool.' She took hold of the ends of his cravat that were hanging loosely around his neck and pulled him towards her. 'Kiss me again.'

'I don't just do kisses, you know,' Draco said lecherously several minutes later.

'_That_ will have to wait until later,' Hermione told him.

'I don't see why. There's no one here but us,' Draco said.

'At the moment. Give it five minutes and there'll probably be a crowd . . . or one of our children will find us.'

'Fair point,' Draco conceded. 'It's just so difficult with you being so damn sexy. I find it hard to keep my hands off you.'

Hermione walked over to the bench and sat down, looking at the carefully maintained pattern of the garden in front of her. She was grateful to Draco for trying to cheer her up, and she understood his desire — she still felt it herself — but she was right, now was really not the time. Once more her mind returned to the first wedding, the original reason she had wanted to be alone.

'I told my parents about Hogsmeade,' she said.

Draco came and sat beside her. He took her hand and stroked it gently.

'Good, I'm glad. I know you were worried that they'd be upset at what we did, but I always thought they should know. What did they say?'

'They were very good about it, although I've got a feeling my dad already suspected something. I don't think he ever believed we were getting married because of Dorea. Anyway, it was good to finally get it out in the open. Rachel knows as well; Ginny mentioned it without thinking so I had to explain. She wasn't very happy with you again — she thinks you're a bad influence on me.

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her back against him.

'I'm a terrible influence. I mean, I made you get married and have loads of children. I've given you a terrible life.'

'I think she's more worried about the lying. She pointed out that I've only ever lied to her twice and both times it was for you,' Hermione said.

Draco frowned for a moment. 'She's right, I am a terrible influence. Is she really unhappy with me? Do you think I should talk to her about it?'

'No, she's fine now. It was just a momentary annoyance . . . like last time. Our friendship is stronger than a couple of small lies, even if they were about you. I just hope she doesn't give Ron a hard time for not saying anything to her.'

'That wasn't his fault. We told him not to say anything,' Draco pointed out.

'I know that, but that doesn't mean she won't be annoyed with him, although I did ask her not to be. I think she was just stunned that he managed to keep quiet. You know how terrible he is at keeping a secret.'

'That one was a pretty important one, though, and I think anyone who was at the wedding was probably happy to forget it,' Draco said.

Hermione's face fell again as she remembered the reason she had originally wanted to get away from the rest of the guests. She sighed as she felt the tears welling in her eyes.

'What's wrong?' Draco asked.

'I was just thinking that I wish Professor Snape could have been here,' Hermione said wistfully, 'and Tonks and Remus.'

Draco hugged her tighter. 'That's what you said at the last wedding.'

'Well, it's true. Wanting them here doesn't change just because we've got older. I still miss them.'

'I know. I miss them, too,' Draco said.

'It's the only thing that clouds the day,' Hermione explained. 'It's just so heartbreaking to think that all those people from the Order who protected us from your father at our wedding in Hogsmeade died during the war. They went out of their way to protect us that day, but none of them made it.'

'We don't forget about them, though,' Draco said. 'We've never forgotten about them, have we?'

'No, but that doesn't stop me wishing they were here with us.'

'Perhaps they are in some way,' Draco suggested gently.

'Not in the way I want. I want to be able to see them and talk to them,' Hermione admitted. 'I wish Remus and Tonks could see Teddy now. He's grown into such a lovely young man, they would be so proud of him. And I wish I could say thank you to Professor Snape again. I would love him to be able to see what he helped to create.'

'They wouldn't want you getting upset over them, not today, or at the second wedding either.' Draco said quietly.

Hermione sighed. 'I'm sorry, I'm getting over-emotional again; you know that's what happens to me at weddings.'

'Were you sick today?' Draco asked.

Hermione sounded and looked surprised. 'Of course I was. Didn't Ginny tell you?'

'No, but then I didn't see her until after the ceremony. I was talking to Blaise, trying to get him to see sense.'

'Sense about what?' Hermione asked.

'He's just got his latest girlfriend pregnant. But you know what Blaise is like — he's suddenly got an attack of cold feet. He's left her and run off to stay with his mother in Italy — she's on husband number twelve and he has a nice vineyard in Tuscany, apparently. He's only flown back for the wedding. He's supposed to be flying back to Florence tomorrow,' Draco told her.

'I wondered why he was on his own. I haven't had a chance to talk to him with all those people your parents keep introducing me to. I assumed they had split up.'

'Not quite, although understandably the girlfriend isn't very happy at his absconding. She wants to get married and settle down with the baby,' Draco said.

'And Blaise doesn't want to do that?' Hermione asked shrewdly.

'I think he's just scared,' Draco answered. 'He's seen his mother and her hundreds of failed relationships and he's worried it's going to happen to him, too. He thinks it runs in the family.'

'Well, it will if he carries on as he is,' Hermione warned.

'I know. I did try to point that out to him but I'm not sure it had much effect. Perhaps you can have a chat with him when we go back?'

'Okay, I'll give it a go. I need to dance with him at some point anyway. It's a shame because I think marriage and children would do him the world of good. It certainly worked for Harry and Ron,' Hermione said.

Draco chuckled. 'I told him he was a coward but I don't think that helped.'

'Really? You do surprise me. You would have been better off pointing out the benefits of being married rather than criticising him, Draco. You'll only annoy him and make him more defensive about what he's done.' She paused for a moment. 'Is this still the pretty girl with the long blonde hair that he brought to the barbeque last month, or has he moved on again?'

'No, that's her — Tia, her name is. Her father's Head of the Spirit Division at the Ministry of Magic. They've actually been together for almost two years and I thought he'd finally met the one, but now this pregnancy has got him running again.'

'Don't worry, I'll talk to him,' Hermione promised.

She snuggled into Draco, closing her eyes as she thought about Blaise's girlfriends over the years. There had definitely been a few of them, and there had been some she hadn't got on at all well with, but Tia was perfect for him as far as she could see. It would be a shame if Blaise ended their relationship because of some stupid idea that he was cursed to have an unhappy marriage. Hermione was certain she could talk him round. If she could sort out her hapless friend Ron's love life, she could sort out anyone.

The thought of Ron took her back to her second wedding — the real wedding, as Draco liked to call it, although she still couldn't help but think of the first wedding as the real one. The second had taken place two years to the day after their original wedding, two years after the end of the war that had ravaged the lives of everyone they knew. It was a bittersweet occasion for Hermione, and although she had enjoyed the day immensely and cherished those who were in attendance, particularly her parents and Rachel who had been most missed at the first wedding, there was sorrow, too, at the thought of those who couldn't make it because of the war; both those who had lost their lives fighting and those who had become estranged because of it.

Hermione remembered with a smile Ron's reaction when he saw Rachel for the first time as she and Ginny preceded Hermione into the room where the wedding was taking place. Hermione had been in the perfect position to see it happen and knew at once that her friend was smitten, confirmed later when he cut in on Rachel when she was dancing with Viktor, who had surprised Hermione by turning up at the wedding, much to Draco's annoyance.

'What are you thinking about now?' Draco asked, worried that Hermione had been quiet for too long.

'The first time Ron saw Rachel,' Hermione admitted. 'It was love at first sight, for both of them, I think. It's amazing how long it actually took them to get together considering how much they liked each other.'

Draco chuckled. 'Says the woman who spent six years of school waiting for him to ask her out! I remember him watching Rachel dance with Viktor Krum. He was glaring at him . . . actually, now I come to think about it, that was the same way he looked when you were dancing with Viktor at the Yule Ball.'

'I remember the two of you having a good old moan about Viktor at the bar,' Hermione said.

'That did cement our friendship somewhat,' Draco admitted. 'Both of us jealous of the Bulgarian Quidditch ace.'

'You had nothing to be jealous of — I was already married to you,' Hermione pointed out.

Draco squeezed her. 'That doesn't mean you wouldn't have run off with him.'

Hermione laughed. 'That was never going to happen. Viktor and I have always just been friends. It's a shame he couldn't come today but Katerina couldn't travel in her condition, and obviously he didn't want to leave her behind just in case she drops early.'

'How many kids have they got now?' Draco asked.

'This will be the fifth, I think.'

'They'll have a Quidditch team soon, too — one we can compete against,' Draco said, sounding satisfied. 'England versus Bulgaria in the Malfoy/Krum stakes.'

Hermione shook her head, chuckling with amusement. 'I think there are a few years to go before we can think about something like that happening. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you: Viktor told me he's thinking about playing in next year's World Cup.'

'I thought he retired years ago,' Draco said.

'He did, after the 2002 Cup, but he still desperately wants to win one and there's a space on the team so he's thinking of taking it,' Hermione told him.

'Hmmm. Well, good for him. I just hope he doesn't get hurt.'

'I think he should be okay, and at least with all that training he'll need to do it'll give Katerina a chance to recover from all those babies in quick succession,' Hermione said.

'Talking of babies,' Draco started smoothly, 'I think we should nip off back to the house and have a go at making the last member of our Quidditch team.'

'I think we should go back to the party. I thought you wanted me to talk to Blaise,' Hermione retorted.

'That can wait a bit. I've been married to you for at least seven hours—'

Hermione turned to look at him archly. 'Fifteen years, you mean.'

Draco sighed. 'Okay, _re-married_ for seven hours and we haven't consummated it yet. We've never waited that long before.'

'That's because we didn't have your parents organising the after-party for us before,' Hermione pointed out.

'And they won't miss us for a bit longer,' Draco said. 'They've got so many people to catch up with they probably haven't even noticed we've gone yet. Please, my love.'

Hermione stared at him for a moment and Draco gazed at her pleadingly. She kissed him on the nose.

'Please?' he said again.

'All right, you've convinced me,' Hermione said with a grin. 'But we'd better not be too long otherwise people are going to wonder what we're doing.'

'Oh, I think everyone will have a pretty good idea,' Draco said as he stood up, pulling Hermione up with him. 'Everyone knows we can't keep our hands off each other, and what better excuse would we have than just getting re-married?'

'I really do love you, you know,' Hermione told him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

'I know. And I love you, too,' Draco replied.

They kissed.

'Are you sure you're not bored with me?' Hermione asked.

'I told you at the start, that's never going to happen,' Draco assured her. 'I still love you and I will always love you.'

'Let's go and make a baby,' Hermione said.

'The final member of our perfect Quidditch team,' Draco added, and he led her out of the garden and back towards the manor.


End file.
